OSTEOPATHY.

Osteopaths Must be Certified.

5322. [Sec. 1, Act 185, 1908, p. 278.] It shall be unlawful for any other than a registered and certified osteopath to practice osteopathy in this State.

State Board of Osteopaths.

5323. [Sec. 2.] The Governor shall appoint a State Board of Osteopaths, consisting of five respectable osteopathists practicing in this State, whose terms of office shall be so determined by the Governor that the term of one member shall expire each year. Thereafter in each year the Governor shall in like manner appoint one person to fill the vacancy to occur in that year, the term of said appointee to be five years. The vacancies occurring from any other cause shall be filled by the Governor for the unexpired terms. The Board shall within thirty days after its appointment by the Governor meet in the City of New Orleans and organize by electing a president, secretary and treasurer, each to serve for one year. The secretary and treasurer shall each give bond with sureties approved by the Board for the faithful performance of his duties in such sum as the Board may from time to time determine. The Board shall have a common seal and shall formulate rules to govern its actions. The Board shall meet in the City of New Orleans at the call of the president in the month of October following the passage of this Act, and in the October of each ensuing year, and at such times and places as the majority of the Board may appoint. Three members of the Board shall constitute a quorum, but no certificate to practice osteopathy shall be granted on less than three affirmative votes of members of said Board. The Board shall keep a record of proceeding and a register of all applicants for certificates, giving the name and location of the institution granting the applicant any diploma produced before said Board, the date of such diploma, and also the fact whether in each case a certificate had been granted or refused to the applicant. The record and register shall be prima facie evidence of all matters recorded therein.

Said Board shall hold examinations for the granting of certificates; it shall report to the prosecuting officer of the State of Louisiana all violations of the provisions of this Act of which it may have knowledge or information; it shall report annually to the Governor on the condition of osteopathy in the State and a record of the proceedings of the Board during the year, together with the names of all osteopaths newly registered under this Act. The fees collected under the provisions of this Act shall be applied to the payment of the expenses of the Board in such manner as it shall direct; provided that no member of the Board shall be paid out of such funds more than the amount spent for traveling expenses in attending meetings of the Board and ten dollars for each day of actual attendance at said meetings.

Registration.

5324. [Sec. 3.] Any person twenty-one years of age shall be entitled to registration as a duly registered osteopath on exhibition to the State Board of Osteopathy a diploma from any legally chartered college or school of osteopathy in America or Europe, and filing with said Board an affidavit of applicant stating his age nativity, that he is the person named in said diploma, that he is a regular graduate or alumnus of said institution and had actually practiced osteopathy in this State one year next preceding his application; provided that such person shall have applied to said Board for registration within ninety days after the promulgation of this Act.

Board May Hear Evidence.

5325. [Sec. 4.] In case the State Board of Osteopathy shall have reason to doubt the truth of the allegation of any affidavit made under the provisions of this act, it shall have the right to examine into and hear evidence as to the truth of said affidavit and if convinced of the falsity thereof, it shall have the right to refuse registration, subject to the right of the applicant to apply to the courts for relief by mandamus; provided that false swearing in an affidavit herein before mentioned shall be deemed perjury and liable to punishment as in other cases of perjury under existing laws.

Examination.

5326. [Sec. 5.] Where the applicant furnishes neither the diploma nor the affidavit required by the foregoing sections he shall have the right of registration after having passed a satisfactory examination by the State Board of Osteopathy on the subjects of anatomy, physiology, symptomatology, physiological chemistry and toxicology, osteopathic pathology, diagnosis, hygiene, obstetrics and gynecology, minor surgery and principles and practice of osteopathy; and said State Board of Osteopathy shall thereupon register the applicant and grant him a certificate of registration as an osteopathist, the same as in the case of the production of a diploma or affidavit as hereinbefore provided. The State Board of Osteopathy may grant certificates of registration to licentiates of other State Boards of duly constituted authorities of osteopathy, without further examination, if said other States or counties in the same manner recognize and validate the certificates of the State Board of Osteopathy created by this Act. The State Board of Osteopathy shall have the right to exact and collect from applicants before issuance of a certificate fifteen dollars; provided, that any person producing a diploma from a legally chartered college or school of osteopathy and who has been actually engaged in the practice of osteopathy in this State for a period of one year prior to the passage of this Act, and who shall apply to said Board within ninety days after this Act goes into effect, may be granted a certificate by said Board to practice osteopathy in this State upon payment of a fee of two dollars to said Board for said certificate; and provided further, that said State Board of Osteopathy may in its discretion dispense with examinations in the case of osteopathic physicians duly authorized to practice osteopathy in any State or territory of the United States or in the District of Columbia who shall present a certificate of registration or examination by the lawfully constituted Board of Osteopathy of such State, territory or district accorded only to applicants equal qualifications with those required in the State of Louisiana, provided further that after June 30th, 1909, no applicant shall be admitted to an examina

tion or receive a certificate to practice osteopathy unless said person shall have graduated from a legally chartered osteopathic school or college, wherein the term of study shall be at least three years of nine months each.

Recordation of Registration.

5327. [Sec. 6.] Every person holding a certificate of examination and registration granted by said State Board of Osteopathists shall have the same recorded in the office of the clerk of the district court of each parish in which he practices, and until such recordation shall have been made the holder of said certificate shall exercise none of the rights or privileges conferred by this act. Said clerk of district court shall keep in a book provided for the purpose, a complete list of certificates filed with him for recordation under the provisions of this Act and note therein the date of the recording of each certificate, and he shall be entitled to charge and receive the sum of one dollar for recording each certificate so filed with him.

Penalty.

5328. [Sec. 7.] Any person who shall without having previously complied with the provisions of this Act practice or pretend or attempt to practice osteopathy in this State or who shall use any of the forms or letters, "Osteopathy," "D. O.,” "Osteopathic Physician," "Doctor of Osteopathy," or any other letters or title, either alone or with other qualifying words or phrases under such circumstances as to induce the belief that the person who uses such words or letters is engaged in the practice of osteopathy, shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction shall be fined not less than twenty dollars, nor more than one hundred dollars for each offense.

Osteopaths May Certify Births and Deaths.

5329. [Sec. 8.] All osteopaths certified, registered and practicing under the provisions of this Act shall have the authority and be required to certify births and deaths to the constituted health authorities of the State and the municipal subdivision thereof in the same manner, with the same effect and under the same penalties as other physicians.