Commonwealth of Pennsylvania 
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION 
State Board of Osteopathic Examiners 
Harrisburg 
OSTEOPATHIC LAW 
Edited May 1, 1949 
I. DEFINITIONS % 
"Osteopath," an individual licensed under the laws of this Common- 
wealth to practice osteopathy, (Act of May 28, 1937? P.L. 1019, Art, VIII, 
Section 101.) 
"Osteopathic Surgeon," an individual licensed under the laws of 
this Commonwealth to practice osteopathy and osteopathic surgery. (Act of 
May 28, 1937, P. L. 1019, Art. VIII, Section 101.) 
II. EXAMINATION OF APPLICANTS. For the purpose of examining appli- 
cants for license, the said Board of Osteopathic Examiners shall hold two 
stated meetings in each year, due notice of which shall be made public, at 
such times and places as the board may determine. At said meetings a 
majority of the members of the board shall constitute a quorum thereof; 
but the examination may be conducted by a committee of one or more members 
of the Board of Examiners, duly authorized by said board; but no license 
to practice osteopathy shall be granted on an affirmative vote of less ? 
than three. Said examinations shall be conducted in writing, in accordance 
with the rules and regulations prescribed by the State Board of Osteopathic 
Examiners, and may be supplemented by practical examinations at the bedside 
in available eleemosynary or other institution, the laboratory, and by 
practical tests upon the human cadaver, and shall embrace the subjects 
named in section eight of this act. After each such examination the com- 
mittee having charge thereof shall, without unnecessary delay, act upon the 
same. An official report of such action, signed by each acting member of 
said committee of examiners stating the examination average of each candi- 
date in each branch, the general average, and the result of the examination, 
whether successful or unsuccessful, shall be transmitted to the said State 
Board of Osteopathic Examiners, Said.report shall embrace all the exami- 
nation papersj questions, and answers thereto, and such written reports as 
result from the practical tests as hereinbefore specified. All such exam- 
ination papers and reports shall be kept for reference and inspection, for 
a period of not less than five years. The board shall keep a record of 
its proceedings, and a register of all applicants for license; giving the 
name and location of the institution granting the applicant the degrees 
of doctor of, or diplomat in osteopathy; the date of his or her diploma; 
and a Iso whether the applicant was rejected or granted a license, and the 
number of the license granted. The record and register shall be prlma 
facie evidence of all matters recorded therein. (Section .5, nct of 
March lb, 1909, P.L. 46.) . _ III LICENSE TO PRACTICE OSTEOPATHY. Every license to 
practice osteopahy, issued under the provisions of this act, 
shall be signed by each member of the Board of Examiners;and 
shall have affixed to it, by the person authorised to affix 
the same, the seal of the State Board of Osteopathic Examiners* 
Before said license shall be issued, it shall be recorded in a 
book to be kept by the Secretary of the Board of Examiners; 
and the number of the books, and the page therein containing 
such recorded copy, shall be noted upon the face of said 
license. Said records shall, under proper restrictions for 
their safe-keeping, be open to public inspection: Provided 
further, That anyone who has been in continuous practice 
of oeteopathy for ten years in some other state and who was 
graduated from a legally incorporated and reputable college 
of osteopathy, as provided for in this act, may be granted 
a license, without further examination, after complying 
xd.th all the other conditions provided for in the licensing 
of osteopaths in practice in this state at the time of the 
approval of this act. (Section ?, Act of March 19, 1909, P.L.46) 
Seal 
Recording 
Non-resi^ 
dent 
practi- 
tioner 
IV APPLICATION TO ENGAGES IN PRACTICE - From and after 
the approval of this act, any person not theretofore authorized 
to practice osteopathy in this state, and desiring to enter upon 
such practice, may deliver to the Secretary of the State Board 
of Osteopathic Examiners, upon the payment of a fee of twenty- 
five dollars, a written application for license, together with 
satisfactory proof that the applicant is more than twenty-one 
years of age, is of good moral character, has obtained a pre- 
liminary education as hereinafter provided, and has received a 
diploma conferring the degree in osteopathy from some legally 
incorporated, reputable osteopathic college of the United 
States, or some foreign country, wherein the course of instruc- 
tion consists of at least three separate years of not less than 
nine months in each separate year. Applicants who receive their 
degree in osteopathy after the first day of January, Anno Domini 
one thousand nine hundred and twelve, must have pursued the 
study of osteopathy for four graded courses of not less than 
thirty-two weeks of not less than thirty-five hours each of 
actual work in didactic laboratory and clinical studies, the 
work of each course having been successfully passed in some 
legally incorporated, reputable osteopathic college, or 
colleges, prior to the granting of said diploma or foreign 
license; Provided, further, That any one who is in the 
practice of osteopathy in some other state at the time of 
the approval of this act and who is a graduate from a 
reputable and legally incorporated college of osteopathy, 
providing a course of study of at least four terms of five 
months each, shall be eligible for examination, upon all 
other terms and conditions provided for applicants for 
examination under the provisions of this act; 
Revised course 
of study- 
required after 
Jan. 1, 1912 
Non-resident 
practitioners 
March 19, 1909 And provided further. That the completion of the regular four 
years’ course and graduation from a reputable literary college, 
in which four years’ course two years were devoted to scientific 
and biological work in the college, shall be accepted by the 
State Board of Osteopathic Examiners as an equivalent for the 
first year in a recognized, reputable osteopathic college: 
Provided, That the examinations of the first year of the said 
osteopathic college have been successfully passed, and 
accepted by the osteopathic college as dealing adequately with 
chemistry, toxicology, physics, physiology, anatomy, and the 
biologic sciences. Such proof shall be made, if required, on 
affidavit. Upon the making of said payment and proof, the 
State Board of Osteopathic Examiners, if satisfied with the 
same, shall admit said applicant to examination as to his other 
qualifications for the practice of osteopathy; which examina- 
tion shall include the subjects of anatomy, physiology, 
chemistry, toxicology, pathology, diagnosis, hygiene, obstet- 
rics, and gynecology, surgery, principles and practice of 
osteopathy, and such other subjects as the board may require. 
On receiving from the committee of examiners, delegated to 
conduct examinations as provided for in section five of this 
act, official report of the examination of any applicant for 
license, the said State Board of Osteopathic Examiners shall 
issue, forthwith, to each applicant who shall have obtained a 
general average of not less than seventy-five per centum, and 
therefore has been returned as having successfully passed 
said examination, and who shall have been adjudged by the 
said Board of Examiners to be duly qualified for the practice 
of osteopathy, a license to practice osteopathy in the State 
of Pennsylvania, as provided for in section ten of this act. 
In case of failure at any such examination, the candidate, 
after the expiration of six months, and within two years, 
shall have the privilege of a second examination. Having 
failed upon a second examination, as herein provided, appli- 
cation de novo may be made, upon complying with the standard 
of qualification, both as to character, preliminary and 
osteopathic education, in force at the time of said applica- 
tion, and upon the payment of a fee of twenty-five dollars. 
(Section 8, Act of March 19, 1909, P. L, 46 as last amended 
by Section 1, Act of April 17, 1942, P,L. 47.) 
Proviso 
Proviso 
Examinations 
Seventy-five 
per centum 
average 
required 
V. CANDIDATES GRADUATED BEFORE JULY 1, 1912. - Any 
candidate for license to practice osteopathy in Pennsylvania 
who shall present his application to the State Board of 
Osteopathic Examiners, and shall show to the satisfaction of 
the Board that he was, before the first day of July, one 
thousand nine hundred twelve a graduate from a legally incor- 
porated and reputable college of osteopathy, and that the 
standard of requirements for graduation in such college, at 
the time of his graduation, was substantially the same as 
provided in section eight of the act to which this act is a 
supplement, shall be eligible to license under all the pro- 
visions of this act, in the same manner as candidates for 
license to practice osteopathy who made application prior to 
the first day of January, one thousand nine hundred twelve, 
(Section 1, Act of April 28, 1915, P. L, 195}. VI. STANDARD OB’ SCHOOL OR COLLEGE - A school or 
college of osteopathy to be recognized as reputable, under + 
the provisions of this act must be legally incorporated, 
maintain a course of study consisting of the time element 
as provided for under the provisions of this act, and 
afford adequate instruction in all the branches of study 
in which examinations are required for licensure under the 
provisions of this act, subject to the approval and 
acceptance of a majority of the Board of Osteopathic 
Examiners of this Commonwealth; Provided, That any 
registered osteopath who has been engaged in the practice 
of osteopathy in this State for eight continuous and con- 
secutive years prior to the approval of this act, who 
shall exhibit his or her certificate of registration to 
the Secretary of the Board of Osteopathic Examiners; and 
shall satisfy said board that he or she has actually 
attended a post-graduate course of osteopathic instruction 
at some college recognized as reputable by said board, said 
course to consist of not less than one term of nine con- 
tinuous months, with not less than an average of twenty-four 
hours instruction a week, and that said applicant has passed 
the examinations of said course under the supervision of 
said board upon the payment by the applicant of the fee of 
twenty-five dollars, the said board shall forthwith issue 
to such applicant a license to practice osteopathy in this 
State, which license shall be subscribed by every member of 
the Board of Osteopathic Examiners, end shall have a life 
effect for all purposes as a license issued after examina- 
tion by said board. Such licensee shall register in the 
office of the prothonotary of the court of common pleas of 
the county or counties in which he or she desires to 
practice, as required by section thirteen of the act hereby 
amended; but, after the date of the approval of this amend- 
ment, no person shall be registered as a practitioner of 
osteopathy, in this Commonwealth, except by exhibiting to 
the prothonotary of the county or counties in which he or 
she desires to practice a license duly granted to him or 
her by the Board of Osteopathic Examiners for the State of 
Pennsylvania. (Section 9, Act of March 19, 1909, P. L. 46 
as last amended by Section 1, Act of June 1, 1915, P. L, 
637.) 
Approval 
Right to 
practice 
Registration 
Section 13 
VII. APPLICANTS LICENSED BY OTHER STATES. Applicants 
examined and licensed by the State Boards of Osteopathic 
Examiners of other states, on the payment of a fee of fifty 
dollars to the State Board of Osteopathic Examiners, and 
filing in the office of the State Board of Osteopathic 
Examiners a copy of said license, certified by the affidavit of the president or secretary of such board, showing also that 
the standard of requirements adopted by said board of examiners 
is substantially the same as is provided by section eight of 
this act, shall, without further examination, receive a 
license conferring on the holder thereof all the rights and 
privileges provided by section eleven of this act. 
After the first day of July, one thousand nine hun- 
dred and twenty-eight, applicants for licensure under the pro- 
visions of this act shall furnish, prior to any examination by 
the State Board of Osteopathic Examiners, satisfactory proof 
that he or she has had a general education of not less than a 
standard four years’ high school course, or its equivalent, and 
not less than one year of college credits in chemistry, 
biology, and physics, all of which have been received before 
admission to osteopathic study. After the first day of July 
one thousand nine hundred and forty-one such applicants shall 
have had not less than two years of college credits, including 
one year in each of the subjects, chemistry, biology, and 
physics, all of which have been received before admission to 
osteopathic study. (Section 10, Act of March 19, 1909, 
P.L, 46, as last amended by Section 1, Act of June 5, 1937 
P.L. 1649.) 
Educational 
Requirements 
after 
July 1, 1928 
Educational 
requirements 
after 
July 1, 1%1 
VIII. PRACTICE OF OSTEOPATHY;OSTEOPATHY DEFINED. Every 
license to practice as an osteopathic physician, issued by 
the State Board of Osteopathic Examiners, shall authorize 
the holder thereof to practice osteopathy in ail its branches, 
including minor surgery and obstetrics, without restriction, 
as the same is herein defined, and taught and practiced in 
the legally incorporated reputable colleges of osteopathy; 
but it shall not authorize the holder thereof to practice 
operative surgery without obtaining an additional license 
to practice such surgery, as provided in section eleven (b) 
of this act. Any use or practice by osteopathic physicians 
of the agencies or means hereinafter named, as embraced 
within the fundamentals of the principles and practice of 
the system of osteopathy, when used for the purposes, in 
the manner, and to the extent as taught and practiced in 
the legally incorporated, reputable colleges of osteopathy, 
shall not be construed the practice of medicine, or deemed 
to be in violation of, or contrary to, any of the laws of 
this Commonwealth relating to the practice of medicine or 
regulating the public health. 
Additional 
license to 
practice 
operative 
surgery 
Practice not 
to be con- 
strued 
practice of 
medicine 
The word "osteopathy”, as used in this act, 
means a complete and independent scientific system for the 
preservation of health and the relief and c ure of bodily 
disorders, embracing a distinct etiology, prophylaxis, and 
therapeutics applicable to all types and conditions of 
Osteopathy 
defined disease, which in its practice deals with the human body as 
an intricate machine, holding as its foremost fundamental, 
(a) that the body when in perfect structural alignment will 
function correctly and health ensue; (b) that disease is 
the effect of anatomical abnormalities producing physiolog- 
ical discord, emphasizing malposed part or parts of the 
spinal column, its appendages and attachments, as the chief 
predisposing and producing cause of disease, to cure which 
the abnormal part or parts must be adjusted to the normal, 
- that pathogenic bacteria are secondary to the predis- 
posing anatomical cause; and (c) which regards and uses 
nondrug adjunctive measures as palliatives; (d) embraces 
obstetrics, ophthalmology, subject, however, to the pro- 
visions herein as to surgery, subscribes to sanitation and 
hygiene, and to surgery when indicated and practiced from 
an osteopathic viewpoint; (e) employs antiseptics, anaes- 
thetics, and germicides in case of necessity and antidotes 
in case of poisoning; and (f) opposes the introduction of 
drugs into the body organism as curative agencies, 
(Section 11, Act of March 19, 1909, P. L. 46 as last amended 
by Section 2, Act of June 5, 1937, P. L. 1649) 
IX. OSTEOPATHIC SURGERY, FEES, ETC. - Any person licensed 
to practice osteopathy in this State, and desiring to enter 
upon the practice of operative surgery as taught and prac- 
ticed in the legally incorporated, reputable colleges of 
osteopathy may deliver to the Superintendent of Public 
Instruction, upon the payment of a fee of one hundred 
dollars, or such fee as shall be fixed by the Superinten- 
dent of Public Instruction, a written application for 
license, together with satisfactory proof, in such form as 
may be required by the Osteopathic Surgeons1 Examining 
Board, that the applicant has served for a period of not 
less than two years as an interne in any approved osteo- 
pathic hospital, which shall have at least ten beds per 
interne devoted to the treatment of diseases, shall main- 
tain a thoroughly equipped modern pathological and clinical 
laboratory proportionate to the necessities of the hospital, 
and shall maintain a department of anaesthesia consisting 
of one or more anaesthetists, who shall have supervision 
over all the anaesthesia given, in the institution, and whose 
duty it shall be to instruct all internes in the administra- 
tion of anaesthetics. After the first day of July, one 
thousand nine hundred and forty-one, all applicants shall, 
in addition to the requirements hereinabove set forth, have 
successfully completed one year of surgical training in 
some legally incorporated, reputable osteopathic college or 
osteopathic hospital, or special courses, or training equiv- 
alent thereto, as determined by the Osteopathic Surgeons’ 
Examining Board. In lieu of the threeyear requirement 
hereinabove set forth, the applicant may submit proof that 
he has served for a period of not less than five years as 
Application 
for license 
to practice 
operative 
surgery. 
Fee assistant to a surgeon, and in a hospital, approved by the Osteo- 
pathic Surgeons’ Examining Board for such training. The Osteo- 
pathic Surgeons’ Examining Board shall examine and fix the rating 
of all osteopathic colleges and hospitals, either chartered under 
the laws of this Commonwealth or operating therein, as relates to 
surgery only. It shall further be the duty of the board, by 
inspection or otherwise, to examine and fix the rating of all 
colleges and hospitals outside this Commonwealth providing osteo- 
pathic surgical training under the laws of any particular state 
whose graduate® or Internes desire to obtain licensure as osteo- 
pathic surgeons in this Commonwealth, but the standards for the 
approval of osteopathic hospitals in this Commonwealth shall be 
required in fixing any such rating. The same standard for grad- 
uates in medicine shall be used for examination by the Osteopathic 
Surgeons' Examining Board in the examination of the osteopathic 
graduates for licenses to practice surgery: Provided, That any 
person duly licensed as an osteopath, who has had at least five 
years of actual practice as a surgeon, may be examined by the 
board without being required to prove that he has had two years’ 
experience as an intern or assistant surgeon in a hospital as 
hereinbefore provided. 
Examination 
and rating of 
colleges and 
hospitals for 
graduate 
students 
Thereupon the Osteopathic Surgeons' Examining Board, if 
satisfied with said proof, shall admit applicant to examination 
as to his or her qualifications for the practice of operative 
surgery as taught and practiced in the legally incorporated, 
reputable colleges of osteopathy. Such examination shall include 
the subjects of surgical diagnosis and operative surgery, and such 
other subjects as the said board may deem necessary to test the 
qualifications of the applicants. The Osteopathic Surgeons’ 
Examining Board shall cause the Department of Public instruction to 
issue forthwith to each applicant who shall have obtained a general 
average of not less than seventy-five per centum, and who shall 
have been adjudged by the said board of examiners to be duly 
qualified for the practice of operative surgery as taught and 
practiced in the legally incorporated, reputable colleges of 
osteopathy, a license to practice such operative surgery in the 
State of Pennsylvania. Such license shall be issued and 
recorded in same manner as licenses to practice osteopathy are 
now issued by the State Board of Osteopathic Examiners under the 
provisions of this act: Provided, however, That no such license 
shall be issued if any objection thereto is filed by the State 
Board of Osteopathic Examiners. 
Examination 
License to 
practice 
operative 
surgery 
Every license issued by said board to practice surgery 
shall authorize the holder thereof to practice major or operative 
surgery as taught and practiced in the legally incorporated, 
reputable colleges of osteopathy; and the use of anaesthetics, 
antiseptics, narcotics, and germicides, when used for the pur- 
poses, in the manner, and to the extent, only as taught and 
practiced under surgical procedure in the legally incorporated, 
refutable colleges of osteopathy, shall not be considered the 
practice of medicine, or in violation of any of the laws 
relating to the practice of medicine or regulating public 
health. 
Effect of 
license Any osteopathic physician who has been practicing 
operative surgery for a period of not less than seven years, 
prior to the passage of this act, shall not be required to 
take the examinations required by this section, and shall be 
eligible to appointment as a member of the Osteopathic 
Surgeons’ Examining Board. 
Osteopathic 
physician who 
has practiced 
seven years 
Applicants examined and licensed by the osteopathic 
surgeons’ examiners of any other state where such examiners 
exist, separate from the osteopathic physicians' examiners, 
on the payment of a fee of two hundred dollars ($200,00), and 
the filing with the Osteopathic Surgeons’ Examining Board of 
this Commonwealth a copy of such license, certified by the 
president or secretary of the examiners of such other state, 
showing that the standard of requirements adopted by such 
examiners is substantially the same as is provided by this 
act, shall without further examination receive a license 
conferring on the holder thereof the right to practice 
operative surgery as taught and practiced in the legally 
incorporated, reputable colleges of osteopathy. 
Applicants 
from other 
states 
person now or hereafter licensed under the 
provisions of this act to practice operative surgery shall 
register as such practitioners with the Osteopathic Surgeonns1 
Examining Board, on or before the first day of January, * one 
thousand nine hundred and thirty-eight, and annually there- 
after, on or before the first day of January of each succeed- 
ing year. The form for such registration shall be prescribed 
and furnished by the board. The annual registration fee shall 
be ten dollars (310.00), or such other sum as shall be fixed 
by the Department of Public Instruction under authority of law. 
The fee in all cases accompany the application for such regis- 
tration. (Section 11 (b), Act of March 19, 1909, P.L. 46 as 
last amended by Section 1, Act of May 21, 1943, P.L. 471.) 
Annual 
registration 
required 
X. PERIOD OF INTERNSHIP - Until the thirtieth day of 
June, one thousand nine hundred forty-eight a minimum of nine 
months for each year's required internship shall constitute the 
necessary legal training for an intern in an osteopathic 
hospital approved for intern training to qualify for admission 
to an examination for licensure by the Osteopathic Surgeons’ 
Examining Board to practice major surgery in Pennsylvania. 
(Section 1, Act of May 21, 1943, P.L, 491 as amended and 
re-enacted by Section 1, Act of May 8, 1947, P.L. 171.) 
Period of 
internship 
■-■Date of expiration change to October 31 by the Department of 
Public Instruction as provided by the Act of May 25, 1937, 
P.L. 800. XI. REPORTS AND CERTIFICATES CONCERNING BIRTHS, DEATHS, 
ETC. - Osteopathic physicians and osteopathic surgeons 
shall observe and be subject to all State and municipal regu- 
lations relating to the control of contagious diseases, the 
reporting and certifying of births and deaths, and all matters 
pertaining to public health, the same as physicians of other 
schools, and all such reports and certificates, when made or 
issued by osteopathic nhysicians licensed under the laws of 
the Commonwealth, shall be accepted by the persons, partner- 
ships, corporations or by the officers, boards, bureaus, or 
departments of the State or of any of its political sub- 
division to whom the same are made, with the same force and 
effect as reports or certificates issued by physicians of 
other schools; and such osteopathic physicians shall be 
entitled to the same fees and compensation as is provided by 
law for physicians of any other School. (Section 12, Act 
of March 19, 1909, P. L. 46 as last amended by Section 4, 
Act of June 5, 1937, P. L. 1649) 
XII. REGISTRATION; VIOLATIONS OF ACT. - From and after 
the approval of this act, no person shall enter upon or con- 
tinue the practice of osteopathy in the State of Pennsylvania 
unless he or she has complied with the provisions of this act. 
It shall be the duty of all persons qualified and engaged in 
the oractice of osteopathy, or who shall hereafter be licensed 
by the State Board of Osteopathic Examiners to engage in such 
practice in this Commonwealth, to register with the said State 
Board of Osteopathic Examiners as practitioners, on or before 
the first day of January, one thousand nine hundred and twenty- 
six, and thereafter to register annually with said board in 
like manner annually on or before the first day of January''- of 
each succeeding year. The form and method of such registration 
shall be provided for by such board in such manner as will 
enable it to carry into effect the purposes of this act. The 
said State Board of Osteopathic examiners shall be entitled to 
demand for each annual registration a fee of three dollars, 
or such other sum as shall be fixed by the Department of 
Public Instruction under authority of law. The fee shall in 
all cases, accompany the application for such registration. 
All fees received hereunder shall, unless otherwise provided 
by law, be used by the said board in carrying out the pro- 
visions of this act. 
Register 
with board 
Annual fees 
Any person licensed and engaged in the practice of 
osteopathy who shall fail, neglect, or refuse to annually 
register with the State Board of Osteopathic Examiners as 
above provided shall be subject to a penalty for the first 
offense not to exceed twenty-five dollars, and for any second 
or subsequent offense to a penalty not exceeding fifty 
dollars, such penalties to be fixed by the Board of Osteopathic 
Examiners in its rules and regulations. 
**Date of expiration changed to October 31 by the department of 
Public Instruction as provided by the Act of May 25, 1937, P.L. 
Failure to 
register 
Penalty 
800* The board shall notify any person so failing to 
register by registered mail of any penalty so imposed, and if 
the same is not paid within thirty days after receipt of said 
notice it may be collected by suit in the same manner as debts 
of like amount are now by law collectible. All fines so 
Imposed and collected shall be paid to the board and shall by 
it be paid into the State Treasury. The Board of Osteopathic 
Examiners may also revoke the license to engage in the 
practice of osteopathy of any person who shall fail or refuse 
to register annually after notice of the imposition of a 
penalty as above provided. 
Collection of 
penalties 
Revocation of 
license 
Any person who shall practice or attempt to practice 
osteopathy, as defined in this act, in treating diseases or 
any ailment whatsoever of the human body, or who shall use any 
of the terms or letters, — osteopath, osteopathists, 
osteopathy, doctor of Osteopathy, diplomat in osteopathy, D.O., 
or any other titles or letters, under such circumstances as to 
induce the belief that the person who uses such terms is engaged 
in the practice of osteooathy, without having first obtained the 
license herein provided for, or contrary to the provisions of 
this act; or who shall, under any other term or name, practice 
or attempt to practice osteopathy as defined in this act; or who, 
for the purpose of obtaining such license, shall falsely repre- 
sent himself or herself to be the holder of a diploma as herein 
provided, — shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and, upon 
conviction thereof in the court of quarter sessions of the 
county wherein the offense shall have been committed, shall pay 
a fine of not less than one hundred dollars, nor more than five 
hundred dollars, or by imprisonment in the county jail for not 
less than thirty days nor more than ninety days, for each 
offense, either or both, at the discretion of the court: 
Provided, however, That nothing contained in this act shall be 
construed as affecting the so-called practice of medicine. 
(Section 1.3, Act of March 19, 1909, P. L* 46, as last amended 
by Section 1, Act of April 6, 1927, P. L* 124) 
Violation 
Misdemeanor 
Penalty 
XIII. REFUSAL OR REVOCATION OF LICENSE. - On and after the 
approval of this act, the State Board of Osteopathic Examiners 
shall refuse to grant a license to an applicant to practice 
osteopathy in this state, and is empowered to revoke a license 
conferring on a person the right to practice osteopathy, upon 
the presentation to said State Board of Osteopathic Examiners 
of a court record shewing the conviction, in due course of law, 
of said person for procuring, aiding, or abetting in producing 
a criminal abortion or miscarriage, by any means whatsoever. 
The State Board of Osteopathic Examiners, upon such evidence and 
proof, shall cause the name of said convicted licentiate to be 
removed from the record in the office of any prothonotary in the State, The State Board of Osteopathic Examiners may refuse, 
revoke or suspend the right to practice osteopathy in this 
State upon any or all of the following reasons, to wit: The 
conviction of a crime involving moral turpitude; habitual 
intemperance in the use of ardent spirits or stimulants, 
narcotics, or any other substance which impairs intellection 
and judgnent, to such an extent as to incapacitate the per- 
formance of professional duties; the violation of the practice 
of the principles of the system of osteopathy as defined in 
this act; misrepresentation; unethical conduct; misleading, 
fraudulent or unethical advertising, including any form of 
pretense which might induce citizens to become a prey to pro- 
fessional exploitation: Provided, however, That the fore- 
going shall not prevent the use of signs containing the name 
of any licensee, and the words "Osteopathic Physician," or 
any abbreviation thereof. Any person who is a licentiate 
under this act, or who is an applicant for examination for 
licensure to practice osteopathy in this State, against whom 
any of the foregoing charges are preferred, for causing the 
revocation or suspension of license or for causing the 
refusal of the right to be examined for licensure, shall be 
furnished by the State Board of Osteopathic Examiners with a 
copy of the complaint, and shall have a. hearing before said 
board, in person or by attorney, and witnesses may be exam- 
ined by said board respecting the guilt or innocense of said 
accused. The suspension of license of any licentiate under 
thie act shall be removed when said narcotic or vicious habit, 
hereinbefore specified, shall have been adjudged by the proper 
authorities to be cured or overcome, and said suspended 
licentiate deemed again capable of practicing the healing art. 
(Section 14, Act of May 19, 1909, P.L, 46, as last amended by 
Section 1, Act of May 18, 1945, P.L. 659. 
XIV. LICENSES; COMPROMISE OF PROSECUTIONS. - Be it 
enacted, etc., That whenever any act of Assembly relating 
to the licensing or registration of persons engaged in pro- 
fessions, trades, and occupations in the Department of Public 
Instruction, or any board therein, is violated and prosecu- 
tion therefor is brought by the Department of Public Instruc- 
tion, such department is authorized and empowered, with the 
approval of the Department of the Auditor General and the 
Department of Justice, to compound, compromise, and settle, 
without further proceedings, any such prosecution before any 
justice of the peace, magistrate, or alderman before whom 
the said prosecution is being brought, upon the payment by 
each defendant of the minimum fine or penalty and costs pro- 
vided for in the respective acts. (Section 1, Act of July 1, 
1937, P. L, 2667.) 
Authorized to 
compound, 
compromise and 
settle prose- 
cutions 
Upon payment 
of minimum fine 
or penalty and 
costs