1115. Adulteration and misbranding of absorbent cotton and gauze bandages. U. S. v. 324 Packages, 1,212 Packages, and 3,800 Pounds of Absorbent Cotton, and 1,970 Dozen Packages of Gauze Bandages. Decrees of con- demnation. Portions of products ordered released under bond; other portions ordered to be disposed of by sale, destruction, and delivery to the Red Cross. (F. D. C. Nos. 8878, 8909, 9050, 9229, 9244. Sample Nos. 10075-F, 14934-F, 14935-F, 29246-F, 31368-F, 32202-F.) Between November 16, 1942, and January 25, 1943, the United States attorneys for the Northern District of Georgia, the Northern and Southern Districts of Ohio, the Southern District of California, and the Western District of Texas filed libels against 324 and 1,212 1-ounce packages of absorbent cotton at Toledo, Ohio, and Atlanta, Ga., respectively, 3,800 pounds of absorbent cotton at Colum- bus, Ohio, 120 dozen packages of 2-inch size and 150 dozen packages of 3-inch size gauze bandages at Los Angeles, Calif., and 1,700 dozen packages of 4-inch size gauze bandages at San Antonio, Tex., alleging that the articles, which had been consigned by the Seamless Rubber Co., had been shipped from St. Louis and Valley Park, Mo., within the period from on or about October 6 to December 15,1942; and charging that the gauze bandages at Los Angeles were misbranded, and that the gauze bandages at San Antonio and all lots of the absorbent cotton were both adulterated and misbranded. The cotton was labeled in part: "Swans- down Absorbent Cotton." Examination disclosed that the articles, which were represented to be sterile, were not sterile but were contaminated with viable micro-organisms. The absorbent cotton at Columbus was alleged to be adulterated in that its purity and quality fell below that which it purported or was represented to possess. The other lots of absorbent cotton and the gauze bandages at San Antonio were alleged to be adulterated in that they purported to be drugs the names of which are recognized in the United States Pharmacopoeia, an official compendium, but their quality and purity fell below the standard set forth therein since they were not sterile. The absorbent cotton was alleged to be misbranded in that the statements appearing in the labeling of the Atlanta lot, "U. S. P. Standard Sterilized," and in the labeling of the other lots, "Absorbent Cotton U. S. P. Standard Ster- ilized," were false and misleading. The gauze bandages were alleged to be misbranded in that the statements appearing in the labeling of the lot at San Antonio, "Sterilized * * * The bandage in this package was sterilized during manufacture and sterilized again after packaging. * * * Esterilizada," and substantially similar statements in the labeling of the lot at Los Angeles, were false and misleading. On March 31 and August 4, 1943, the Seamless Rubber Co. having appeared as claimant for the Columbus and San Antonio lots, judgments of condemna- tion were entered and the products were ordered released under bond to be brought into, compliance with the law. Between January 19 and February 27, 1943, no claimant having apeared for the other lots, judgments of condemnation were entered and it was ordered that the Atlanta lot be sterilized and sold; that the Los Angeles lot be delivered to a local chapter of the Red Cross; and that the Toledo lot be destroyed.