524  Objectionable  Labelling  of  Medicines.  {'A£oviS«*wi?: 
reservations  of  a  misleading  character  objectionable,  but  any  sugges- 
tion, hint,  or  insinuation,  direct  or  indirect,  or  design  or  device  that 
may  tend  to  convey  a  misleading  impression,  should  be  avoided. 
This  applies,  for  example,  to  such  statements  as  "  has  been  widely 
recommended  for,"  followed  by  unwarranted  therapeutic  claims. 
3.  Indefinite  and  Sweeping  Terms. — Representations  that  are  un- 
warranted on  account  of  indefiniteness  of  a  general  sweeping  char- 
acter should  be  avoided.  For  example,  the  statement  that  a  prepara- 
tion is  "  for  kidney  troubles  "  conveys  the  impression  that  the 
product  is  useful  in  the  treatment  of  kidney  affections  generally. 
Such  a  representation  is  misleading  and  deceptive  unless  the  medi- 
cine in  question  is  actually  useful  in  all  of  these  affections.  For  this 
reason  it  is  usually  best  to  avoid  terms  covering  a  number  of  ail- 
ments, such  as  "  skin  diseases,  kidney,  liver,  and  bladder  affections," 
etc.  Rheumatism,  dyspepsia,  eczema,  and  the  names  of  many  other 
affections  are  more  or  less  comprehensive,  and  their  use  under  some 
circumstances  would  be  objectionable.  For  example,  a  medicine 
should  not  be  recommended  for  rheumatism  unless  it  is  capable  of 
fulfilling  the  claims  and  representations  made  for  it  in  all  kinds  of 
rheumatism.  To  represent  that  a  medicine  is  useful  for  rheumatism, 
when  as  a  matter  of  fact  it  is  useful  in  only  one  form  of  rheumatism, 
would  be  misleading,  such  statements  as  "  for  some  diseases  of  the 
kidney  and  liver,"  "  for  many  forms  of  rheumatism,"  are  objection- 
able, on  account  of  indefiniteness. 
Names  like  "heart  remedy,"  "kidney  pills,"  "  blood  purifier," 
"  nerve  tonic,"  "  bone  liniment,"  "  lung  balm,"  and  other  terms 
involving  the  names  of  parts  of  the  body  are  objectionable  for 
similar  reasons. 
4.  Testimonials. — Testimonials,  aside  from  the  personal  aspect 
given  them  by  their  letter  form,  hold  out  a  general  representation  to 
the  public  for  which  the  party  doing  the  labelling  is  held  to  be  re- 
sponsible. The  fact  that  a  testimonial  is  genuine  and  honestly 
represents  the  opinion  of  the  person  writing  it  does  not  justify  its 
use  if  it  creates  a  misleading  impression  with  regard  to  the  results 
which  the  medicine  will  produce. 
No  statement  relative  to  the  therapeutic  effects  of  medicinal 
products  should  be  made  in  the  form  of  a  "  testimonial  "  which 
would  be  regarded  as  unwarranted  if  made  as  a  direct  statement  of 
the  manufacturer. 
