Your referee has had examined recently purchased specimens of Valentine’s Meat Juice (Valentine’s Meat Juice Company, Richmond, Va.). The examination shows that it has virtually the same composition as that given in the report of the Council “Meat and Beef Juices” published in The Journal, Nov. 20, 1909. It contains practically no coagulable protein material, one of the products characteristic of a meat juice. It is essentially a diluted meat extract.
The following statement found in former circulars now seems to have been eliminated:
“The two-ounce oval bottle, adopted for the Meat Juice contains the concentrated juice of four pounds of the best beef, exclusive of fat; or the condensed essence of one and a half pints of pure liquid juice which is obtained from the flesh of beef.”
An endeavor is still made, however, to convey the idea that the product contains coagulable protein, as shown by the following:
“Boiling water changes the character of the preparation.”
“The use of boiling water with the Meat-Juice changes the character of the Preparation.”
The proprietors undoubtedly know that the product does not contain any coagulable material and that the statements just quoted are plain misrepresentations.
The advertising circular contains a large number of “Testimonials of the Medical Profession.” As all are undated, one cannot tell how old these testimonials are. One physician recommends it highly for hypodermic use; another says, “I have kept cases on it and it alone for days, without attempting to give any other food, and the results have been entirely satisfactory.” According to another, it is “most invaluable in typhoid fever and also in diphtheria.”
Valentine’s Meat Juice conflicts with the following rules of the Council:
Rule 1, in that its composition is not correctly given;