The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1901-01-25
TO LEGAL1ZE OSTEOPATHY.
Bill Prepared by DR.. o. B. Prickett Of
Billings.

DR.. o. B. Prickett returned to Bill
ings Wednesday form Helena, where he
had introduced in the house of the
state legislature by Representative
Hedges, a bill, which, if it becomes a
law, will free those who practice oste-
opathy in Montana from the attempts
to punish them for ''practicing med
been made with frequency in different
parts Of the state in the last few years.
DR. Prickett is president of the state
association of ~osteopaths, and the bill
was prepared not only at their sug-
g%estion, but also on the request of
leading physicians of the state. In
many states similar bills have become
laws, osteopathy having come to be
looked upon as n of the necessary
practices to relieve suffering mankind.
By the terms Of the bill the COVER
nor is to appoint a board of osteopathic
examiners, composed OF three quail
fed osteopathists who must be gradu-
ates of some illegally authorized
school of osteopathy. The term of
Office Of each is four years, except in
the case of the first board, the men,
bers of which are to serve, one for
one year, one for two years ana one
four years.
1t is made the duty IF the board to
examine applicants for certificates to
practice osteopathy and to issue IL
censes to such as pass the examination
prescribed.
The bill makes it unlawful for any
person to practice osteopathy without
a license, except in the cases of those
engaged the practice of the profession
prior to the passage of the act, who
hold diplomas from legally authorized
schools where the curse of study is
twenty months, but the secretary of
the board may issue a temporary GER
tificate emitting a person to practice
until such time as he can be regularly
examined.
The board is required to examine
applicants for certificates in the
branches of anatomy, physiology, OBJ
s~tetrics and the theory Of o%steopathy.
An important feature of the bill is
that the decision of the board as to
whether or not an applicant is quail
fed to practice is final and there is no
appeal from it as in the present law
governing the examination Of appli-
cants for a certificate to practice medi-
cine.
It is specifically prescribed that a
certificate to practice %osteopathy shall
not entitle the practitioner to pre-
scribe medicines Or to perform major
or operative surgery without first
having obtained a license SO to do from
the state board of medical examiners.
Successful applicants for certificates
must file their licenses with the clerk
and recorder of the county they prac-
tice in. Violations of the law by
p%racticing without a license or obtain-
ing a license by fraudulent means is
made a misdemeanor punishable by a
fine of from $50 to 500, or not to
exceed so days in the county Jail.
The bill provides further that a Ii
cense may be revoked for misrepresen-
tation or fraud in procuring it or for
gross immortality. Members of the
board are to receive SIS a day for each
day actually engaged in holding exam
nations and actual expenses.
In the final paragraph the bill de-
clares o%steopathy is not the practice
of medicine within the meaning Of the
present medical law.