29261. Adulteration and alleged Misbranding of Epsom salts, citrate of mag- 
nesia, and hydrogen peroxide. U. S. v. Larche Laboratories, Inc., Jack 
Rudolph, and Albert A. Larche. Pleas of guilty by individuals to 
charges of adulteration. Fines, $150 each. Misbranding charges 
against individuals and all charges against corporation dismissed by 
court.    (F. & D. No. 40826.    Sample Nos. 60559-C, 60570-C, 60573-C.)
These products were represented to be products recognized in the United 
States Pharmacopoeia, but differed from the standards laid down therein; and 
their own standards were not declared.
On June 17, 1938, the United States attorney for the District of Colorado, 
acting upon a report by the Secretary of Agriculture, filed in the district court 
an information against Larche Laboratories, Inc., Denver, Colo., and Jack 
Rudolph and Albert A. Larche, officers of the corporation, alleging shipments 
by said defendants in violation of the Food and Drugs Act, on or about August 
30, October 9, and November 4, 1937, from the State of Colorado into the State 
of New Mexico, of quantities of Epsom salts, citrate of magnesia, and hydrogen 
peroxide, that were adulterated and alleged to be misbranded. The articles 
were labeled in part: "Epsom Salts, Magnesium Sulphate Larche Laboratories 
Denver"; "White Cross Hydrogen Peroxide Packed by Larche Laboratories 
Denver" ; "Solution Citrate Magnesia."
The Epsom salts was alleged to be adulterated in that it was sold under 
names recognized in the United States Pharmacopoeia, and the standard of 
strength, quality, and purity as determined by the test laid down in the said 
pharmacopoeia required that it contain not less than 99.5 percent of magnesium 
sulphate; whereas the article differed from the said standard in that it con- 
tained less than 99.5 percent of magnesium sulphate and also contained a 
quantity of sodium sulphate, and no standard of strength, quality, and purity 
of the article was stated plainly or otherwise on the container. The Epsom 
salts was alleged to be misbranded in that the statements on the container, 
"Magnesium Sulphate Nature Made It Pure * * * These salts are 
guaranteed to be technically pure in every detail," were false and misleading, 
since the article was not pure magnesium sulphate but contained an admixture 
foreign to magnesium sulphate, namely, sodium sulphate.
The hydrogen peroxide was alleged to be adulterated in that it was represented 
to be "Hydrogen Peroxide U S P," a drug recognized in the United States- 
Pharmacopoeia under the name "Solution of Hydrogen Peroxide," whose stand- 
ard of strength, quality, and purity as determined by the test laid down in the 
said pharmacopoeia required that it contain in each 100 cubic centimeters 
not less than 2.5 grams of hydrogen peroxide; whereas it contained not more 
than 0.78 gram of hydrogen peroxide per 100 cubic centimeters and therefore 
differed from the pharmacopoeial standard and its own standard of strength, 
quality, and purity was not stated plainly or otherwise on the container. It was 
alleged to be misbranded in that the statement "Hydrogen Peroxide" and the 
letters "U S P," borne on the label, were false and misleading since they 
represented that it contained the amount of hydrogen peroxide present in solu- 
tion of hydrogen peroxide of United States Pharmacopoeial standard; whereas it 
contained less hydrogen peroxide than is contained in such a solution.
The solution citrate of magnesia was alleged to be adulterated in that it was 
sold under the names, "Citrate of Magnesia" and "Solution Citrate of Mag- 
nesia," names which were recognized in the United States Pharmacopoeia 
official at the time of investigation, and the standard of strength, quality, and 
purity for which, as determined by the test laid down in said pharmacopoeia 
required that it contain in each 100 cubic centimeters an amount of magnesium 
citrate corresponding to not less than 1.6 grams and not more than 1.9 grams of 
magnesium oxide, and in each 10 cubic centimeters citric acid equivalent to not' 
less than 26 cubic centimeters of half-normal hydrochloric acid; whereas the 
article differed from the said standard since it contained magnesium citrate 
corresponding to not more than 1.33 grams of magnesium oxide per 100 cubic 
centimeters, and citric acid equivalent to not more than 22.1 cubic centimeters 
of half-normal hydrochloric acid per 10 cubic centimeters, and no standard 
of strength, quality, and purity of the article was stated plainly or otherwise 
on the container. The article was alleged to be misbranded in that the state- 
ment on the label, "Solution Citrate of Magnesia" was false and misleading since 
it contained less magnesium oxide and less citric acid than are contained in 
solution citrate magnesium of United States Pharmacopoeial standard.
On July 21, 1938, Jack Rudolph and Albert A. Larche having entered pleas of 
guilty to the said charges of adulteration, the court sentenced them to pay fines 
in the total amount of $300, and dismissed the misbranding charges against 
them. All charges were dismissed against the defendant Larche Laboratories, 
Inc.
M. L. WILSON, Acting Secretary of Agriculture.