How did Thomas W. Dyott build a patent-medicine business after arriving in Philadelphia?

Thomas W. Dyott, a British-born American glassmaker and temperance advocate, arrived in Philadelphia in the 1790s with very little money. He initially worked odd jobs, polishing shoes by day and making shoeblack by night. In 1807, he opened a drugstore and began selling "family medicines," quickly becoming the largest dealer in the country. His popular products included Infallible Worm Destroying Lozenges and Vegetable Nervous Cordial.1

To meet the demand for bottles for his medicines, Dyott purchased the Kensington Glass Works in 1833, employing 400 workers. This venture allowed him to pursue his Utopian ideals by creating a factory community called Dyottville or "Temperanceville," where alcohol was prohibited, despite his own medicines containing high alcohol content.1