VALUELESS AS A TONIC

Taranaki Daily News, 17 August 1935, Page 9

VALUELESS AS A TONIC

COMMENTS IN THE COURT MEDICINE PLACED ON MARKET. ADVERTISEMENT LEADS TO FINE. “FALSE CLAIMS” BY THE SELLER. By Telegraph—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. An advertisement concerning a certain preparation made from the organs of sheep and cattle and the subsequent purchase of a bottle of the liquid by a detective was responsible for the appearance of Donald Campbell before Mr. E. D. Moseley, S.M., in the Magistrate’s Court to-day. He was charged with pausing to be published false statements to promote the sale of a certain article and fined £lO and costs. The facts of the case as outlined by Mr. P. S. K. Macassey, who appeared for the Health Department, were that Campbell advertised the preparation and the advertisement was answered by a detective, who later paid 10s for a bottle of the preparation. Evidence was given by Dr. J. Mercer, pathologist, who quoted leading medical authorities to the effect that preparations of a similar nature to that made by Campbell had not produced the results claimed. “It is perfectly evident to me that this is an attempt to sell to the public something which is valueless as a tonic or a medicine or whatever he likes to call it,” commented Mr. Moseley. "It was quite false to allege that it would have the effect that Campbell stated it would have.

“In fact it iq an abominable thing that alleged remedies of this kind should be placed on the public market.” Mr. Macassey pointed out that Campbell had been convicted of a similar offence to the present one, which concerned an alleged cure for goitre.