12321. Misbranding-  of Doan's  kidney- pills.     TX.   S. v.  227  Dozen  Packages
of Doan's Kidney Pills. Default decree of condemnation, for- 
feiture, and destruction. (F. & D. No. 18038. I. S. No. 19925-v. 
S. No. C-4201.)
On Nov. 21, 1923, the United States attorney for the District of Minnesota, 
acting upon a report by the Secretary of Agriculture, filed in the District Court 
of the United States for said district a libel praying the seizure and condemna- 
tion of 227 dozen packages of Doan's Kidney Pills, at St. Paul, Minn., alleging 
that the article had been shipped by Foster Milburn Co. from Buffalo, N. Y(., 
on or about October 29, 1923, and transported from the State of New York into 
the State of Minnesota, and charging misbranding in violation of the food and 
drugs act as amended.
Analysis of a sample of the article by the Bureau of Chemistry of this depart- 
ment showed that the pills consisted essentially of potassium nitrate, ground 
uva ursi leaves', a trace of a volatile oil such as turpentine or juniper oil, a 
resin, starch, sugar, and talc, coated with starch, sugar, and talc.
Misbranding of the article was alleged in the libel for the reason that the 
following statements regarding the article's therapeutic effects, (box and 
wrapper label) " Kidney Pills * * * Acting directly on the * * * Urin- 
ary system * * *," (circular, in English) "Kidney Pills * * * There 
are certain trades in which, * * * Those following such trades are * * * 
subject to kidney troubles. In such cases, if these pills are indicated, * * * 
increase the dose * * * when relief is noticed the dose may be reduced 
* * * A good medicine," (circular, in Magyar, Swedish, and German) 
" If you work hard or if you perform indoor work or any kind of work which 
strains the kidneys increase the dose," (circular, in Bohemian) "If you work 
hard or in closed quarters or if you perform work which affects the kidneys 
incz*ease the use of the pills," (circular, in Italian and Dano-Norwegian) "If 
you do hard wTork, indoor work, or any kind of work which fatigues the kidneys
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increase the dose," (circular, in Yiddish.) "If you work hard and suffer with 
kidney troubles take three pills each time until you feel better," (circular, in 
Polish) " If you work hard or'indoors or any work which injures the kidneys 
take one more, that is three pills," were false and fradulent, since the said 
article contained no ingredient or combination of ingredients capable of produc- 
ing the effects claimed.
On March 26, 1924, 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 marshall.
HOWAED M. GOBE, Acting Secretary of Agriculture.