The use of complex mixtures such as these is irrational and leads to misplaced confidence on the part of the physician; particularly when, as in this case, neither the label nor the advertising matter gives the necessary information regarding the composition of the preparations further than that, in accordance with the requirements of the Federal Food and Drugs Act, the amount of chloral is declared (Rule 10).
The Council declared L. O. Compound No. 1 and L. O. Compound No. 2 inadmissible to New and Nonofficial Remedies for conflict with Rules 1, 4, 6, 8 and 10.
The Council’s consideration of Tri-Arsenole, L. O. Compound No. 1 and L. O. Compound No. 2 was based on information received from the Medical Supply Company, the correspondence being signed “Medical Supply Co., per Dr. H. E. Pontius.” The findings having been sent to the Medical Supply Company, the following reply was received:
(June 27, 1917) “Replying to your registered letter of this A. M. relative to the Medical Supply Company’s products, will state that the party furnishing you with such information as you have in hand was misinformed. He is no longer with this company and whereabouts unknown.
Respectfully,
Medical Supply Company,
(Signed) W. B. Lingo, President.”
The Medical Supply Company then was asked to point out any statements occurring in the report, as submitted, which the company considered to be inaccurate; but no reply has been received to this request. The advertising sent out by the Medical Supply Company during the last part of August contained essentially the same statements and claims as those to which reference is made in the preceding report. A qualitative examination of Tri-Arsenole made in the A. M. A. Chemical Laboratory indicated the presence of sodium, mercury, arsenic, chlorid, benzoate and a hydrastis preparation. Quantitative determinations were not made as there was no guarantee that an analysis of the present supply would indicate the composition of that marketed later on.
In view of the statement of the president of the company, that the information submitted in the letters from the Medical Supply Company was inaccurate, Tri-Arsenole and L. O. Compound must definitely be placed with preparations, the composition of which is not divulged by their owners; hence Tri-Arsenole as well as L. O. Compound No. 1 and L. O. Compound No. 2 are in conflict with Rule 1.—(From Reports of Council on Pharmacy and Chemistry, 1917, p. 156.)