The San Francisco call., 1895-05-18
DENTISTS ABOUT TO ACT
An Organization for Forcing
Unlicensed Operators
to Quit.
NON PROFESSIONALS PARRED.
Members of the Profession Declare
That the Act of 1855 Must
Be Enforced.

The unlicensed dentists must go. SC
say the regular practitioners.
A law approved March II, 1885, made
this command very explicit, and at each
annual meeting of the State Board OF Den
tai Examiners since that time the order
has been strenuously reiterated. But the
law has remained practically dead letter,
and the Board of Examiners could do little
beyond publishing list of names in their
yearly report to the Governor, under the
heading of ''illegal practitioners. All
this seemingly has had little terror for the
unlicensed, for they have increased during
the last three or four years. San Francisco
is full of them, and the country towns
abound in itinerant 'tooth carpenters u
without diplomas or certificates.
But there is going to be change in the
near future, and the iron hand of the law
will close its fingers on the neck of hun
dred or more Of the unlicensed who are
now practicing.
There is now in process of formation in
this city com mbination of dentists-all
representative men in the profession
having in view the instituting of legal pro-
ceedings under the provisions of the act of
1885. against illegal practitioners wherever
found. 1t will not mean the prosecution
of half-dozen isolated cases, but rather
the hunting down and fning or imprison-
ment of every man in the State who is at
the present time practicing dentistry with
out a certificate from the State Board of
Examiners.
The law is entitled an "act to insure the
better education of practitioners of dental
surgery, and to regulate the practice of
dentistry in the State of California 1t
went into effect March IL, 1885.
Section of this act provides as follows:
Within six months from the time that this
act takes effect it shall be the duty of every
person engaged in the practice of dentistry In
this State to cause his or her name and place
OF residence or place OF business TO be regis
tered with said Board of Examiners who shall
keep book for that purpose. The statement
OF every such person shall be verified under
oath before a notary public or Justice of the
Peace in such manner as may be prescribed
by the board Every person who shall SO regis
ter with said board as practitioner of dentis-
try shall receive certificate to that effect and
may continue to practice as such without in
curing any okthe penalties or liabilities pro-
vided in this act, and shall pay to the Board OF
Examiners for each registration the fee OF 81.
Section provides for examinations as
follows:
Any and all persons who shall so desire may
appear before the board at any of the regular
meetings and be examined IN reference to
their knowledge and skill in dental surgery;
and If the examination OF such person or per-
sons shall prove satisfactory, the Board OF Ex-
aminers shall issue to such persons as they find
TO possess the requisite qualifications a certit-
cate to that effect in accordance with the pro-
visions of this act. Said board shall also in
dorse as satisfactory diplomas from any reput-
able dental college when satisfied as to the
character of such institution, upon the holder
furnishing satisfactory evidence to the board OF
his or her right to the same, and shall issue
certificates to that effect within ten days there
after.
The penalty is provided for in. section 6
as follows:
Any person who shall violate any OF the pro-
visions of this act shall be deemed guilty of @
misdemeanor, and upon conviction may be
confined six months in the county Jail for each
and every offense All funds recovered under
this act shall be paid into the common school
fund of the county in which such conviction
takes place.