18400. Misbranding of Wood's fever pills.     U. S. v. TO Packages of Wood's
Fever   Fills.    Default   decree   of   condemnation,   forfeiture,   and 
destruction.     (F. & D. No. 25776.    I. S. No. 8138.    S. No. 4012.)
Examination of a drug product, known as Wood's fever pills, from the ship- 
ment herein described showed that the article contained cinchonine, a derivative 
of cinchona, that it was recommended as a cure for ailments for which quinine 
and other cinchona derivatives are customarily prescribed, and that it con- 
tained insufficient cinchonine to cure such ailments when used according to 
directions, namely: " Two Pills the night before and two Pills the morning of 
the expected fever day; then one Pill night and morning for one or two days; 
then one Pill the night before and one the morning of the 7th, 14th, and 21st days, 
counting from the last fever." The labeling of the article bore further curative 
and therapeutic claims that were not justified by the composition of the article.
On January 23, 1931, the United States attorney for the Western District of 
Tennessee, acting upon a report by the Secretary of Agriculture, filed in the 
District Court of the United States for the district aforesaid a libel praying 
seizure and condemnation of 70 packages of Wood's fever pills at Memphis, 
Tenn., alleging that the article had been shipped by Dr. Wm. Wood & Sons, 
from Cairo, Ill. on or about October 6, 1930, and had been transported from the 
State of Illinois into the State of Tennessee, 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 con- 
tained acetanilid (0.86 grain per pill), cinchonine (0.29 grain per pill), and 
extracts of plant drugs including a laxative drug.
It was alleged in the libel that the article was misbranded in that the follow- 
ing statements appearing on the carton and in the circular, regarding the cura- 
tive and therapeutic effects of the said article, were false and fraudulent, since 
it contained no ingredient or combination of ingredients capable of producing 
the effects claimed: (Carton) "For all Bilious and Malarial Diseases * * * 
For any form of Malarial Fever, such as Bilious Fever, and Ague, Dumb Ague, 
Intermitting and Remitting Fever, Sun Pain, Sick Headache, Neuralgia, Swamp 
Fever, Etc.;" (circular) " General Directions-For any form of Malarial Fever, 
such as Bilious Fever, Fever and Ague, Dumb Ague, Intermitting and Remitting 
Fever. Sun Pain, Sick Headache, Neuralgia, Swamp Fever, etc. * * * 
Kidney Derangements caused by malaria are very common, causing Apoplexy, 
Paralysis, Insanity, Neuralgia and Spinal Diseases generally, while their cause 
is hardly suspected. * * * One Pill every night or two, as a female regu- 
lator * * * One or two pills will break up and relieve a Sick Headache 
* * * When the system is debilitated and the blood has lost its rich rosy 
hue * * * In rousing a Torpid Liver they have no equal * * * Jaun- 
dice cured by * * * Let the aged who sometimes sigh for the 'Elixir of 
Perpetual Youth' take a Wood's Pill or two and he will own that he has found 
an excellent substitute for that ' Fabled Elixir.' Erysipelas cured * * * 
Malarial Dropsy * * * Another effect of Malaria is dizziness, mental con- 
fusion and loss of memory * * * Malarial Rheumatism * * * As a 
preventive for Yellow Fever, Typhoid Fever, Cholera and other Zymotic 
Diseases   *    *    *    For Chronic Diarrhoea."
On May 12, 1931, 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.
ABTHUB M. HYDH, Secretary of Agriculture.