AN ACT 
TO REGULATE THE 
PRACTICE OF MEDICINE 
IN THE 
STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, 
APPROVED FEB. 28, 1882. 
FUBLISHED BY STATE BOARD OF HEALTH. 
JACKSON, MISS.: 
J. L. Power, State Printer. 
1882. A1ST ACT 
To Regulate the Practice of Medicine in the State of 
Mississippi. 
Section 1. Be it enacted by the Legisla- 
ture of the State of Mississippi, That no 
person shall practice medicine in the State 
of Mississippi, unless he shall have received 
a license to practice, and have registered 
the same as is hereinafter provided in this 
act. 
Sec. 2. Be it f urther enacted, That there 
shall he established boards of censors in 
the State of Mississippi, one board in each 
congressional district, whose duty it shall 
be to examine into the qualification of ap- 
plicants for such license. 
Sec. 3. Be it further enacted., That the 
board of censors in each district shall be 
composed of the two sanitary commis- 
sioners of said district; and in case the 
members of said board shall differ in their 
opinions as to the qualifications of the ap- 
plicant, the record of examination herein- 
after provided for shall be forwarded to 
the Secretary of the State Board of Health, 
who shall decide between them, and issue 
or withhold the license as the case may be. 
Sec. 4. Be it further enacted, That ex- 
aminations for license shall be in writing, 
and each board of censors in their examina- 
tion for license to practice medicine, shall be 
governed by such rules and regulations, as 
shall be prescribed by the State Board of 
License to 
practice. 
Boards of 
Censors. 
How Com- 
posed. 
How differ- 
ences de- 
cided. 
llules of State 
Board to gov- 
ern. 2 
LAWS OE THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI. 
Health ; provided, said board shall not dis- 
criminate against any applicant on account of 
the system of practice he may advocate, 
and the State Board of Health shall have 
jurisdiction in cases of appeal from any 
decision of the board of censors. Any ap- 
plicant for license whose application has 
been endorsed “unfavorable,” may appeal 
from such decision to the state board ; 
provided, such appeal is claimed by the ap- 
plicant by a notice in writing, lodged with 
the Secretary of the State Board of Health 
within thirty days from the decision of the 
boards of censors. The State Board shall 
decide such appeals on the written examina- 
tion, tiled with the Secretary, at the meeting 
succeeding the tiling of the notice of ap- 
peal. 
Sec. 5. Be it further enacted, That ap- 
plicants for license under this act shall 
make their applications in writing, stating : 
1st. His name in full; 2d. Nativity and age; 
3d. Residence and postoffice; 4th. Time 
spent in professional studies; 5th. Physi- 
cian or preceptor under whom studies were 
pursued, with postoffice address; 6th. 
Courses of medical lectures attended; 7th. 
Name of medical schools attended; 8tli. If 
a graduate, name of college granting di- 
ploma ; 9th. Time spent in hospital, if any; 
10th. Time of practice, if any ; 11th. School 
of practice chosen; 12th. References as to 
character. 
Sec. 6. Be it farther enacted, That appli- 
cants for license shall be examined only on 
the following branches of medicine, viz: 
Anatomy, chemistry, obstetrics, materia 
medica, physiology, pathology, surgery, 
hygiene. 
Sec. 7. Be it further enacted, That appli- 
cants for license shall deposit with their 
applications, each a fee of fifteen dollars and 
twenty-five cents. Fifteen dollars of which 
shall be appropriated to the use of the 
board of censors as their remuneration, 
No discrimi- 
nation. 
Appeals. 
To be decided 
by State 
Board. 
Applica- 
tions for 
license. 
On what 
branches ex- 
amined. 
License fee. LAWS OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI. 
3 
and out of which the expense of advertising 
the time and place of meetings of said 
board of censors, as is hereinafter provided, 
shall be paid ; and twenty-live cents of said 
fee shall be forwarded to the Secretary of 
the Board of Health, as a fee for services 
hereinafter provided for. 
Sec. 8. Be it further enacted, That an 
applicant for license, whose examination 
proves satisfactory to the board of censors, 
shall have a certificate to that effect fur- 
nished him by the board of censors, which 
certificate shall entitle him to practice 
medicine in the State of Mississippi for the 
period of thirty (30) days from the date 
thereof, and it shall be the duty of the 
board of censors to endorse the application 
“favorable” or “unfavorable,” as may be 
determined by the board of censors, and 
forward it, together with the record of ex- 
amination, with twenty-five cents (25 cents) 
to the Secretary of the State Board of 
Health, who shall register said application, 
in a book kept for that purpose, and file it 
for future reference. 
Sec. 9. Be it further enacted, That in 
case a “favorable” indorsement is given the 
application, the State Board of Health, 
through their Secretary, shall forward, at 
once, to the applicant, a license to practice 
medicine in the State of Mississippi, and 
such license shall bear upon its face all the 
statements that appear upon the applica- 
tion, and shall be signed by the Secretary 
and sealed with the seal of the State Board 
of Health. 
Sec. 10. Be it further enacted', That every 
person holding a license to practice medi- 
cine shall have a transcript of the same 
recorded in the office of the circuit clerk of 
the county in which he resides, in a book 
kept for that purpose, and the circuit clerk 
shall attach to said license, his certificate 
of record, and the clerk shall be entitled to 
How applied. 
Board of Cen- 
sors to issue 
license. 
Sec’y of State 
to register 
application. 
In case of 
“favorable” 
indorsement. 
License to be 
recorded. 
Fee of Clerk. 4 
LAWS OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI. 
a fee of one dollar and lifty cents, to be paid 
by the said licentiate. 
Sec. 11. Be it f urther enacted, That if a 
license be not presented for record within 
thirty days from its date, the license shall 
be void and of no effect. 
Sec. 12. Be it further enacted, That when 
a licensed practitioner of medicine changes 
his residence into a county other than that in 
which his license is recorded, said license 
must be recorded as at first in the office of 
the circuit clerk of the county in which lie 
intends to reside, before he can engage in 
the practice of medicine in his new loca 
tion, a certificate of which record shall be 
furnished by the circuit clerk, to the Secre- 
tary of the State Board of Health, for which 
services the clerk shall be entitled to a fee 
of one dollar and sixty cents. 
Sec. 13. Be it further enacted, That if 
physicians living in other States, near the 
borders of the State of Mississippi, en- 
gaged in the practice of medicine, whose 
practice extends into the State of Missis- 
sippi, may obtain license to practice in this 
State in the same manner as is required of 
resident physicians, said licenses to be re- 
corded in the office of the clerks of the cir- 
cuit courts in the county or counties in 
which they practice in this State ; and this 
act shall not be construed so as to prevent 
physicians or surgeons from other States 
from treating cases in this State, in charge 
of regular licentiates in this State. 
Sec. 14. Be it f urther enacted, That in 
case a license is lost, upon application, ac- 
companied by a fee of ten cents, it shall be 
the duty of tire Secretary of the State Board 
of Health to issue a duplicate license in 
lieu of the one lost, and forward the same 
to said applicant. 
Sec. 15. Be it further enacted, That a 
temporary license may be granted an appli- 
cant by the State Board of Health through 
their Secretary, by virtue of which a per- 
W hen filed 
for record. 
Change of 
Residence. 
Physicians 
living near 
borders of 
Mississippi. 
Lost license. LAWS OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI. 
5 
son may practice medicine, but such tem- 
porary license shall specify upon its face 
the time for which it is granted, and shall 
be void after the next regular meeting of 
the board of censors of the district in 
which the licentiate may reside; but no 
succeeding application for temporary li- 
cense for the same person shall be enter- 
tained by the State Board of Health, and 
the Secretary of the State Board of Health 
shall be entitled to a fee of twenty-five 
cents for each temporary license granted. 
Sec. 16. Be it further enacted, That for 
the purpose of examining applicants for 
license under this Act, the Board of Censors 
shall hold quarterly sessions, viz: on the 
second Monday in March, June, September 
and December in each year, at some con- 
vient place near the centre in the congres- 
sional district where they reside. Thirty 
days’ notice of said sessions shall be given 
by publication in one or more newspapers 
published in said district. 
Sec. 17. Be it further enacted, That every 
physician now practicing medicine in the 
State of Mississippi, shall receive his li- 
cense without an examination as to qualifi- 
cation, from the State Board of Health 
through their Secretary, upon application 
for such license, accompanied by a fee of 
ten cents. Said application to contain, 
under oath, the applicant’s : 1st, name in 
full; 2d, nativity and age; 3d, residence 
and postoffice; 4th, time spent in profes- 
sional studies; 5th. physician or preceptor 
under whom studies were pursued, with 
postoffice address of same; 6th, courses 
of medical lectures attended; 7th name 
of medical school attended; 8th, if a gradu- 
ate, name of college granting diploma ; 9th, 
time spent in hospital, if any; 10th, time 
of practice, if any; 11th, school of practice 
chosen; 12th, reference as to character; 
provided, that such application is made by 
the 30tli day of June, A. T).. 1882. and if 
Temporary 
license. 
Quai terly 
session of 
Board of 
Censors. 
Physicians 
now practic- 
ing licensed 
without ex- 
amination. 
What appli- 
cations miii t 
show. 6 
LAWS OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI. 
such license shall not have been recorded 
or hied for record within thirty days after 
its issuance, as heretofore provided, said 
license shall be void and of no effect; pro- 
vided, further, that said license shall show 
that it was granted under the 17th section 
of this Act. 
Sec. 18. Be it further enacted, That the 
Secretary of State shall furnish blanks and 
books of record to the State Board of Health 
and books of record to the circuit clerks of 
each county, ruled and lined and otherwise 
prepared as may be prescribed by the State 
Board of Health as necessary for the proper 
enforcement of the provisions of this Act. 
Sec. 19. Be it further enacted, That any 
person making false statements in his ap- 
plication for license shall be guilty of a 
misdemeanor, and on conviction thereof 
shall be lined in a sum of not more than 
twenty-live dollars, and upon proof of such 
conviction the State Board of Health shall 
revoke his license, and the State Board of 
Health shall notify the circuit clerk of the 
county in which said license may have been 
recorded, of such revocation, and it shall 
be the duty of the circuit clerk to erase the 
name of said person from the record. 
Sec. 20. Be it further enacted, That for 
the purposes of this Act the words ‘‘practice 
medicine” shall mean to suggest, recom- 
mend, prescribe or direct for the use of any 
person any drug, medicine, appliance or 
other agency, whether material or not mate- 
rial, for the cure, relief or palliation of any 
ailment or disease of the mind or body, or 
for the cure, or relief of any wound, frac- 
ture, or other bodily injury, or any defor- 
mity, after having received, or with the in- 
tent of receiving therefor, either directly or 
indirectly, any bonus, gift, profit or com- 
pensation ; Provided, That nothing in this 
Act shall apply to females engaged solely 
in the practice of midwifery. 
Sec. 21. Be it further enacted, That peri- 
Blanks and 
record books, 
Penalty for 
false state- 
ments. 
“Practice of 
medicine” 
how con- 
strued. LAWS OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI. 
7 
patetic quacks and traveling charlatans 
shall not be licensed to practice medicine 
as provided for in the seventeenth section 
of this Act. 
Sec. 22. Be it farther enacted', That it 
shall be the duty of the several judges of 
the circuit courts to give this Act in charge 
to the grand juries at every term of their 
several courts ; and it shall be the duty of 
the circuit clerk of each county in the State 
to furnish a list of persons registered in 
their office, under this Act, to the grand 
jury on the first day of each term of their 
several courts. 
Sec. 23. Be it f urther enacted, That every 
person or persons offending against the pro- 
visions of this Act shall be guilty of a mis- 
demeanor, and upon conviction thereof, 
shall, for each offence, be fined in a sum of 
not less than fifty nor more than five hundred 
dollars, or be imprisoned in the county jail 
not less than ten nor more than thirty days, 
or both such fine and imprisonment at the 
discretion of the court. 
Sec. 24. Be it f urther enacted, That this 
Act shall take effect and be in force from 
and after its passage. 
Approved, February 28, 1882. 
Quacks not to 
be licensed. 
Judges to 
give act to 
grand juries. 
Violations of 
Act. 
Office of Secretary of State, 
Jackson, Mississippi. 
I, Henry C. Myers, Secretary of State, do certify 
the Act hereto attached, entitled “An Act to regulate 
the practice of medicine in the State of Mississippi,” is 
a true and correct copy of the original now on tile in 
this office. 
Given under my hand and the Great Seal of the State 
of Mississippi hereunto affixed, this 10th day of 
March, 1882. 
HENRY C. MYERS, 
Secretary of State.