2336. Misbranding? of Nature's Minerals Compound and vitamin B complex tab-
lets. U. S. v. Nature's Mineral Food Co., a partnership, and Perry B.
Smith.    Pleas of guilty.    Partnership fined $500; Individual fined $100.
(F. D. C. No. 20162.   Sample Nos. 16633-H, 16634-H, 17225-H.)
INPOBMATION FILED: October 2, 1946, Southern District of Indiana, against
Nature's Mineral Food Co., Indianapolis, Ind., and Perry B. Smith, a partner.
ALLEGED SHIPMENT: On or about March 19 and April 12, 1945, from the State
of Indiana into the State of Illinois. Accompanying the products were form
letters bearing the heading "Good Morning," circulars entitled "Are You Suf-
fering From Mineral Starvation," and leaflets entitled "Cause and Results,"
"Prostate Glands," "Testimonials for Nature's Minerals Rheumatism," and
"Abundant Health."
Analysis showed that the Natures Minerals Compound consisted essentially
of calcium, sodium, iron, magnesium, sulfates, phosphates, chlorides, carbon-
ates, free sulfur, and a trace of iodides, and that the vitamin B complex tablets
contained thiamine chloride, nicotinic acid, and riboflavin.
LABEL, IN PABT: "Nature Minerals Compound," or "High,Potency Vitamin B
Complex."
NATURE OF CHARGE: Misbranding, Section 502 (a), certain statements in the
labeling were false and misleading. These statements represented and sug-
gested and created in the mind of the reader the impression that the articles,
used alone or in conjunction with each other, would be benefical in the treat-
ment of enlarged, sluggish, and dormant prostate glands, stagnant blood, and
impaired nervous energy; that they would enable the body to throw off accumu-
lated toxic acid poisons; that they would keep hundreds out of hospitals and
would keep men past 40 happy and vigorous; that they would be beneficial in the
treatment of any disease conditions of the prostate glands in young or old men,
to a normal state of vigor and vitality and would eliminate the need for an
operation on those glands; that they would purify and improve the quality and
the quantity of the blood; that they would restore the normal functioning of
the organs and the nervous system; that they would produce healthy bodies and
would enable the body to get rid of accumulated poisons and acids in the
system; that they would enable the body to throw off any disease with which
it was inflicted ; that they would be beneficial in the treatment of arthritis, and
when combined with vitamins would produce wonders in the system; that they
would enable one to regain health and would cause one to retain health; that
they would be efficacious in the correction of poor teeth, bone diseases, deformi-
ties, lack of energy, lowered vitality, Bright's disease, tuberculosis, colds,
lowered resistance, swollen and enlarged glands, bunions, inflammatory con-
ditions, patches of grayish white and membranous substances in the throat,
skin discharges and eruptions, stuffy colds, dark brown circles under the eyes,
pain accompanied by swelling, thick white coating on the tongue, sluggish liver,
sick headache, belching, deafness with crackling noises, and deep barking cough ;
that they would prevent eruptive diseases in early childhood; that they would
create and maintain cell life in the structures Of the nerves and brain; that
they would be efficacious in the correction of nervous debility, neuralgia, nerv-
ous headache, hysteria, melancholia, excessive' shyness, liability to faint, irreg-
ular pulse, palpitation of the heart, undue sensitiveness to noises, inability
to concentrate, irritability, sleeplessness, mania, cramps, nerve pains, con-
stipation from spasmodic nervousness, twitching muscles, mental illusions, dys-
pepsia with gas, hiccoughs, stuttering, and many other painful conditions; that
they would control waste matter such as pus, perspiration, and excess water;
that they would prevent infections, rheumatism, arthritis, gallstones, hay fever,
sinus trouble, and diabetes; that they would neutralize acids and keep the lime
in solution ; that they would be beneficial in the treatment of pimples, boils, car-
buncles, styes, and abscesses; that they would eliminate every ache and pain
and would insure perfect bodily functioning; that they would be beneficial in
the treatment of asthma; that they would restore normal alkalinity to the body;
that they would eliminate disease regardless of its name, whether it was chronic
or acute; that they would build up greater resistance to disease and senility;
that they would correct disturbed mineral balance; that they would be beneficial
in the treatment of ulcers, neuritis, and kidney and intestinal troubles; that they
would insure abundant health and would provide abundant energy; that they
would activate and revive glands and would remove waste matter and poisons
from the tissues of the blood stream; and that they would destroy disease of
every organ of the body. The articles, when used alone or in conjunction with
each other, would not be effective for the purposes so represented.
The articles were alleged also to be misbranded under the provisions of the
law applicable to foods, as reported in notices of judgment on foods.
DISPOSITION :   December 5,1946.     Pleas of guilty having been entered, the part-
nership was fined $500 and the individual defendant was fined $100.