13399. Adulteration and misbranding- of atropine sulphate tablets, nitro- 
glycerin tablets, quinine sulphate tablets, acetphenetidin tablets, 
morphine diacetyl tablets, morphine sulphate tablets, strychnine 
nitrate tablets, and codeine sulphate tablets. U. S. v. Bowman, 
Mell & Co. (Inc.). Plea of nolo contendere. Fine, $250. (F. & D. 
No. 18747. I. S. Nos. 1074-v, 1077-v, 1078-v, 1079-v, 1082-v, 1095-v, 1096-v, 
1098-v, 1100-v, ?334-v, 2338-v, 2339-v, 12502-v, 15855-v, 15857-v, 15858-v.)
On September 3, 1924, the United States attorney for the Middle District of 
Pennsylvania, acting upon a report by the Secretary of Agriculture, rfiled in 
th? District Court of the United States for said district an information against 
Bowman, Mell & Co. (Inc.), a corporation, Harrisburg, Pa., alleging shipment 
by said company, in violation of the food and drugs act, in various consign- 
ments, namely, on or about September 25 and 28, October 9 and 20, 1923, re- 
spectively, from the State of Pennsylvania into the State of Maryland, on or 
about December 3, 1923, from the State of Pennsylvania into the State of New 
York, and on or about September 21, 1923, from the State of Pennsylvania 
into the State of New Jersey, of quantities of atropine sulphate tablets, nitro- 
glycerin tablets, quinine sulphate tablets, acetphenetidin tablets, morphine 
diacetyl tablets, morphine sulphate tablets, strychnine nitrate tablets, and 
codeine sulphate tablets which were adulterated and" misbranded. The articles 
were labeled in part: "Atropine Sulphate 1/50 Gr."; "Nitroglycerine 1/50 
gr." (or "1/100 gr.") ; "Quinine Sulphate (White) 2 gr."; "Acetphenetidin 
1 gr." (or "2 grs." or "3 grs.") ; "Morphine Diacetyl 1/24 gr." (or "1/12 
Grain") ; "Morphine Sulphate J/8 gr."  (or "1/2 gr.") ; "Strychnine Nitrate
3/30 gr." ; and " Codeine Sulphate 1/6 gr.," as the case might be, and " Bowman, 
Mell & Co."
Analyses of samples of the articles by the Bureau of Chemistry of this 
department showed that: The atropine sulphate tablets examined, labeled 
"1/50 gr.," averaged 0.014 grain of atropine sulphate to each tablet; the 
quinine sulphate tablets examined, labeled " 2 gr.," averaged 1.673 grains of qui- 
nine sulphate to each tablet; the nitroglycerin tablets examined, labeled " 1/50 
gr.," averaged 0.011 grain of nitroglycerin to each tablet and those labeled " 1/100 
gr." averaged 0.004 grain of nitroglycerin to. each tablet; the two lots of 
morphine diacetyl tablets examined labeled " 1/12 grain" averaged 0.0614 
grain and 0.0621 grain, respectively, of morphine diacetyl to each tablet and 
those labeled " 1/24 gr." averaged 0.0315 grain and 0.0335 grain, respectively, 
of morphine diacetyl to each tablet; the strychnine nitrate tablets examined, 
labeled "1/30 gr.," averaged 0.0276 grain of strychnine nitrate to each tablet; 
the three lots of acetphenetidin tablets examined, labeled " 1 gr.," " 2 grs.," 
and "3 grs.," respectively, averaged 0.865 grain, 1.737 grains, and 2.648 grains, 
respectively, of acetphenetidin to each tablet; the morphine sulphate tablets 
examined labeled " 1/8 gr." averaged 0.106 grain of morphine sulphate to each 
tablet and those labeled " 1/2 gr." averaged 0.439 grain of morphine sulphate 
to each tablet; and the codeine sulphate tablets examined, labeled " 1/6 gr.," 
averaged 0.146 grain of codeine sulphate to each tablet.
Adulteration of the articles was alleged in the information for the reason that 
their strength and purity fell below the professed standard and quality under 
which they were sold.
Misbranding was alleged in substance for the reason that the statements, to wit, 
" 500 Compressed Tablets Atropine Sulphate 1/50 Gr.," " Tablets * * * 1000 
Nitroglycerin 1/50 gr., "Compressed Tablets 200 Quinine Sulphate (White) 
2 gr.," "Compressed Tablets 1000 Acetphenetidin 1 Gr.," "Tablets * * * 
200 Morphine Diacetyl 1/24 gr.," "Tablets * * * 400 Morphine Diacetyl 
1/24 gr.," " Compressed Tablets 500 Acetphenetidin 2 grs.," " Tablets * * * 
1000 Nitroglycerin 1/100 gr.," "200 Tablets * * * Morphine Diacetyl 
1/12 Grain," "Tablets * * * 300 Morphine Sulphate 1/8 gr.," "Tablets 
* * * 200 Morphine Diacetyl 1/32 Grain," "Compressed Tablets 300 
Acetphenetidin 3 grs.," "Tablets * * * 50O Atropine S'ulphate 1/50 gr.," 
"Tablets-100 Morphine Sulphate 1/2 gr.," "Compressed Tablets 500 Strych- 
nine Nitrate 1/30 gr.," and " Tablets * * * 300 Codeine Sulphate 1/6 gr.," 
as the case might be, borne on the labels attached to the bottles containing 
the respective articles, were false and misleading, in that the said statements 
represented that each of said tablets contained the amount of the product 
declared on the label thereof, whereas the said tablets contained less than so 
declared.
On May 4, 1925, a plea of nolo contendere to the information was entered 
on behalf of the defendant company, and the court imposed a fine of $250.
C. F. MARVIN, Acting Secretary of Agriculture.