19900. Adulteration and Misbranding of sodium salicylate tablets, bland
and strychnine compound tablets, pbenolpbtbalein tablets, mi- 
graine tablets, nitroglycerin compound tablets, fluidextract of 
ergot, tincture of aconite, and Wiley's Alcoholic Extract of Cod 
Liver Oil; Misbranding of Narco syrup of the bypopbospbltes. 
V. S. v. Hance Bros. & Wbite (Inc.). Plea of nolo contendere. 
Fine, $200. (F. & D. No. 27484. I. S. Nos. 2440, 27837, 27841, 28002, 
28003, 28004, 28006, 28007, 29781, 29811, 29812.)
This action was based on the shipment in interstate commerce of various 
drugs and drug preparations, which included six lots of drug tablets. The 
sodium salicylate tablets, the phenolphthalein tablets, and the two lots of 
nitroglycerin tablets were found to contain smaller amounts of the said drugs 
than declared. The bland and strychnine tablets and the migraine tablets also 
were found to contain a smaller amount of one of the drugs than declared on 
the labels. The fluidextract of ergot and the tincture of aconite were both 
represented to be of pharmacopoeial standard and failed to meet the pharmaco- 
poeial tests, the former being essentially inert, i.e., possessing about one-sixth 
of the required potency of the therapeutically important principle of fluid- 
extract of ergot U.S.P. The case also covered two shipments of a drug prep- 
aration, labeled "Wiley's * * * Alcoholic Extract of Cod Liver Oil," and 
one labeled, "Narco Syrup of the Hypophosphites." Examinations of these 
drug preparations disclosed that they contained no ingredients or combinations 
of ingredients capable of producing certain curative and therapeutic effects 
claimed in the labeling. One lot of the so-called Wiley's extract of cod-liver 
oil was tested biologically, and was found to be worthless as a source of vi- 
tamin D, one of the therapeutically important principles of cod-liver oil.
On August 3, 1932, the United States attorney for the Eastern District of 
Pennsylvania, acting upon a report by the Secretary of Agriculture, filed in the 
District Court of the United States for the district aforesaid an information
against Hance Bros. & White (Inc.), a corporation, Philadelphia, Pa., alleging 
shipment by the defendant company from the State of Pennsylvania into the 
State of New Jersey, of quantities of drugs and drug preparations. The 
information charged that the defendant company had shipped in interstate 
commerce, on or about July 16, 1930, a quantity of sodium salicylate tablets; 
on or about January 24, 1931, quantities of blaud and strychnine compound 
tablets and phenolphthalein tablets, respectively; on or about February 2, 1931, 
of a quantity of migraine tablets, of two lots of nitroglycerin compound tablets, 
and one lot each of fluidextract of ergot and tincture of aconite; and that all 
said products were adulterated and misbranded in violation of the food and 
•drugs act. The information further charged shipment on or about March 18 
and April 17, 1931, of two lots of "Wiley's extract of cod-liver oil," which 
was misbranded and the latter of which was also adulterated, and shipment 
on or about October 18, 1930, of a lot of Narco Syrup of the Hypophosphites, 
which was misbranded. The articles were labeled in part; " Compressed tablets 
Sodium Salicylate five grains * * * Hance Brothers & White Incorporated 
* * * Philadelphia;" "Tablets Bland and Strychnine Comp. * * * 
Arsenous Acid 1/50 Grain;" " Tablets Phenolphthalein * * * One Grain;" 
" Compressed Tablets Migraine Improved Acetanilide 2% gr.;" " Tablet Tritu- 
rates Nitroglycerin Comp. * * * Nitr glycerin 1/200 Gr. [or Nitroglycerin 
1/100 Gr."];" "Fluid Extract Ergot U. S. P. Tested Physiologically;" "Poison 
Tincture Aconite U. S. P. Assayed physiologically;" "Wiley's Palatable Prep- 
aration of the Alcoholic Extract of Cod Liver Oil;" " Compound Narco Syrup 
of the Hypophosphites."
Adulteration of the said drug tablets 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, as follows: Each of the said sodium 
salicylate tablets was represented to contain 5 grains of sodium salicylate, 
whereas each of the said tablets contained less than so represented, i. e., not 
more than 4.344 grains of sodium salicylate; each of the said blaud and 
strychnine compound tablets was represented to contain 1/50 grain of arsenous 
acid, whereas each of said tablets contained less than so represented, i. e., 
not more than 0.0176 grain of arsenous acid; each of said phenolphthalein 
tablets was represented to contain 1 grain of phenolphthalein, whereas each 
of said tablets contained less than so represented i. e., not more than 0.903 
grains of phenolphthalein; each of the said migraine tablets was repre- 
sented to contain 2% grains of acetanilid, whereas each of said tablets con- 
tained less than so represented i. e., not more than 2.257 grains of acetanilide; 
-each of the nitroglycerin tablets was represented to contain 1/200 grain or 
1/100 grain of nitroglycerin, whereas each of said tablets contained less than 
so represented, the former containing not more than 0.00052 (approximately 
1/2000) of a grain of nitroglycerin and the latter containing not more than