Chap. 459.—An ACT to amend and re-enact section 1750 of the Code of Virginia,
as amended and re-enacted by an act approved April 24, 1903.

Approved December 17, 1903.

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That section
seventeen hundred and fifty of the Code of Virginia, as amended and re-
enacted by an act approved April twenty-fourth, nineteen hundred and
three, be amended and re-enacted so as to read as follows:

§ 1750. Who prohibited from practicing medicine or surgery without
certificate; penalty for practicing illegally ; what courts have jurisdiction
te inflict—No person who shall have commenced the practice of medi-
cine or surgery in this State since the first day of January, eighteen hun-
dred and eighty-five, or who shall hereafter commence the practice of the
same, shall practice as a physician or surgeon for compensation without
having first obtained a certificate from the State board of medical ex-
aminers and caused the same to be recorded as aforesaid, or a special per-
mit from the president of said board. To open an office for such purpose,
or to announce to the public in any way a readiness to practice medicine
in any county or city of the State, or prescribe for or to give surgical as-
sistance to, or to heal, cure, or relieve, or to attempt to heal, cure, or re-
lieve, those suffering from injury or deformity or discase of mind or body.
or to advertise or to announce to the public in any manner a readiness
or ability to heal, cure, or relieve those who may be suffering from injury
or deformity or disease of mind or body, shall be to engage in the prac-
tice of medicine within the meaning of this section: provided, that noth-
ing in this section shall be construed to apply to or to limit in any man-
ner the manufacture or sale of proprietary medicines, or apply to, affect,
or interfere in any way with the operation of any hospital now estab-
lished in this State, or any person while engaged in conducting such
hospital, if there be a licensed physician resident and practicing therein,
or to any person who commenced the practice of osteopathy in this State
prior to January first, nineteen hundred and three. It shall also be re-
garded as practicing medicine within the meaning of this section if any
one shall use in connection with his or her name the words or letters
“Dr.,” “doctor,” “professor,” “M. D.” or “healer,” or any other title,
word, letter, or designation intending to imply or designate him or her as
a practitioner of medicine or surgery in any of its branches; but this sec-
tion shall not be construed to apply to non-itinerant opticians who are
at this time engaged in the practice of optometry in this State nor to pro-
fessional or other nurses. Any person who shall practice medicine or
surgery in this State in violation of the provisions of this section shal] be
fined not less than fifty nor more than five hundred dollars for each of-
fense; and it shall not be lawful for him to recover by action, suit, mo-
tion, or warrant in any of the courts of the State, any compensation for
services which may be claimed to have been rendered by him as such phy-
sician or surgeon. The circuit and corporation courts shall have ex-
clusive jurisdiction to try offenses for violations of the provisions of this
section committed within their respective counties and corporations.

2. This act shall lake effect on the first day of February, nineteen hun-
dred and four.

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