15S04. Misbranding of Norma. V. S. v. 21 Bottles of Norma. Default de??
cree   of   condemnation,  forfeiture,  and  destruction.     (F.   &  D.  No.
22203.     S. No.  249.)
On November 25, 1927, the United States attorney for the District of New?
Jersey, acting uppn a report by the Secretary of Agriculture, filed in the Dis??
trict Court of the United States for said district a libel praying seizure and?
condemnation of 21 bottles of Norma at Newark, N. J., alleging that the?
article had been shipped by the Norma Laboratories, Inc., Albany, N. Y., on?
or about November 11, 1927, and transported from the State of New York into?
thei State of New Jersey, and charging misbranding in violation of the food?
?and drugs act as amended.
Analysis of a sample of the article by this department showed that it consisted?
essentially of soluble phosphate, glycerin, and water, with a small amount oi?
plant extractive material and red coloring matter.
It was alleged in the libel that the article was misbranded in that the fol??
lowing statements appearing upon and within the packages were false and?
fraudulent, since the said article contained no ingredients or combination of?
ingredients capable of producing the effects claimed: (Bottle label) " Blood?
Mechanism Regulator. Indicated in cases of discomfort caused by high blood?
pressure, deficient nerve nutrition, etc.;" (circular) "The function of Norma?
is to aid the nature in its efforts to rehabilitate itself and thus relieve the many?
sufferers from the distressing and unpleasant] symptoms which usually accom??
pany disturbances of human blood mechanism and manifest themselves in so-?
called high blood pressure. So-called ' High Blood Pressure' is not a disease.?
It is a symptom of an abnormal condition. Sometimes it is one of the mani??
festations of Bright's disease?then again it may. be a result of mental worry?
or strain and then again it may be just the consequence of Unhygienic living'?
and occurring usually in over and improper feeding and insufficient physical?
exercise."
On July 9, 1928, no claimant having appeared for the property, judgment of?
condemnation and forfeiture was entered, and it was ordered by the court?
that the product be destroyed by the United States marshal.
ARTHUR M. HYDE, Secretary of Agriculture.