Osteopathic 
Practice Laws of 
Michigan 
Act. No. 162, Public Acts of 1903, 
Amended by Act Noof 1913 Osteopathic Practice Laws 
of Michigan 
An Act 
To regulate the practice of Osteopathy in the State of 
Michigan, to provide for the examination, licensing 
and regulation of Osteopathic practitioners, to 
appoint a State Board of Osteopathic Reg- 
istration and Examination and for the 
punishment of offenders against 
this Act and to repeal Acts 
and parts of Acts in 
conflict therewith 
The People of the State of Michigan enact: 
Section 1.-There shall be a State Board of 
Osteopathic Registration and Examination, con- 
sisting of five persons, appointed by the Governor 
by and with the advice and consent of the sen- 
ate, in the following manner, to-wit: Within 
thirty days after the passage of this act, the Gov- 
ernor shall appoint five persons having the qual- 
ifications required by this section, who shall con- 
stitute the first Board of Osteopathic Registration 
and Examination. The terms of office shall be 
so designated by the Governor that the term of 
one member shall expire each year, these several 
periods to date from May I, 1903. Thereafter, 
in each year prior to May first, the Governor, by 
and with the advice and consent of the sen- 
ate, shall in the same manner, appoint one person 
to fill the vacancy to occur on the board on that date, from expiration of term. A vacancy occur- 
ring from any other cause shall be filled by the 
governor for the unexpired term in the same 
manner, by and with the advice and consent of 
the senate, if in session when such vacancy oc- 
curs, or in other cases subject to the approval 
of the senate at its regular session. Each per- 
son appointed as a member of the board shall, 
before receiving his certificate of appointment, 
file with the governor a certificate of the Michi- 
gan State Osteopathic Association, a corpora- 
tion duly organized under the laws of the state 
of Michigan, under the seal of its president and 
secretary, setting forth that the person named in 
the certificate is a graduate of a reputable col- 
lege or school of Osteopathy; that he has been 
engaged in the practice of Osteopathy in the 
state of Michigan for two years or more; that 
he is of good moral character, and that he is 
of good standing in his profession. The board 
shall organize by electing a president, secretary 
and treasurer, each to serve for a term of one 
year. TheTreaurer shall give bond in the sum of 
five thousand dollars, with surety approved by 
the board for the faithful discharge of his du- 
ties. The secretary shall receive a salary to be 
fixed by the Board of not exceeding six hundred 
dollars per annum. The members of the board 
shall each receive their actual expenses for the 
time actually employed in the discharge of their 
duties. The Board shall have a common seal, 
and shall formulate rules to govern its actions. 
Its President and Secretary shall have power to 
administer oaths. The board shall hold its an- 
nual meeting in Lansing on the first Tuesday of 
September of each year, and other meetings at 
such other times and places as a 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 an 
affirmative vote of less than three. The board 
shall keep a record of its proceedings, and a reg- 
2 ister of all applicants for certificates, giving the 
name and location of the institution granting the 
applicant the degree of doctor of Osteopathy, the 
date of his diploma, and also whether the appli- 
can was rejected or a certificate granted. 
The books and register of the board shall be 
prima facie evidence of all matters recorded 
therein. The board shall create no expense ex- 
ceeding the sum received from time to time as 
fees and fines herein provided. 
Section 2.-Any person before engaging in the 
practice of Osteopathy in this state, shall upon 
the payment of a fee of twenty-five dollars, 
make application for a certificate to practice Os- 
teopathy to the Board of Osteopathic Registration 
and Examination, on a form prescribed by the 
Board, giving first his name, age (which shall not 
be less than twenty-one years) and residence; 
second, evidence that such applicant shall have, 
previous to the beginning of his course in Os- 
teopathy, a diploma from a high school, academy, 
college or university, approved by aforesaid 
board, or in lieu thereof, its equivalent creden- 
tial to be approved by the board; third, the name 
of the school or college of Osteopathy from 
which he was graduated, and which shall have 
been in good repute, as such, at the time of the 
issuing of his diploma, as determined by the 
Board; fourth, the date of his diploma, and evi- 
dence that such diploma was granted on per- 
sonal attendance and completion of of 
study of not less than th/ee-years of nine months 
each, and such other information as the board 
may require. The board may in its discretion 
accept as the equivalent of any part or all of 
the second and third requirements, evidence of 
five or more years' reputable practice of Osteo- 
pathy, by an Osteopathic physician located in 
the state at the time of the passage of this act: 
Provided, That such substitution be specified in 
the certificate. If the facts thus set forth, and 
to which the applicant shall be required to make 
3 affidavit, shall meet the requirements of the 
Board, as laid down in its rules, then the Board 
shall require the applicant to submit to an exami- 
nation as to his qualifications for the practice of 
Osteopathy, which shall include the subjects of 
anatomy, physiology, chemistry, toxicology, path- 
ology, bacteriology, histology, neurology, diag- 
nosis, obstetrics, gynecology, surgery, hygiene, 
public health laws of Michigan, medical juris- 
prudence, principles and practice of Osteopathy 
and such other subjects as the Board may re- 
quire. If such examination be passed in a 
manner satisfactory to the Board,then the Board 
shall issue its certificate granting him the right 
to practice Osteopathy in the State of Michigan, 
in all its branches as taught and practiced in the 
recognized colleges and schools of Osteopathy. 
Any person failing to pass such examination may 
be re-examined at any regular meeting of the 
Board within a year from the time of such fail- 
ure without additional fee: Provided, further, 
That the Board may, in its discretion, dispense 
with an examination of the case, first, of an Os- 
teopathic physician duly authoried to practice Os- 
teopathy in any other state or territory, or the 
District of Columbia, who presents a certificate 
or license issued after an examination by the le- 
gally constituted board of such state, territory 
or District of Columbia, accorded only to appli- 
cants of equal grade with those required in 
Michigan; or, second, an Osteopathic physician 
who has been in legal practice of Osteopathy for 
five years, who is a graduate of a reputable school 
of Osteopathy, who may desire to change his 
residence to Michigan, and who makes applica- 
tion on a form to be prescribed by the Board, ac- 
companied by a fee of twenty-five dollars. The 
Board of Osteopathic Registration and Examina- 
tion shall refuse to issue a certificate of registra- 
tion provided for in this section to any person 
guilty of grossly unprofessional and dishonest 
conduct. 
4 Section 3.-All fees shall be paid in advance 
to the Treasurer of the Board, and by him at 
once covered into the State Treasury to the credit 
of a continuing fund, which is hereby appropri- 
ated for the use of the State Board of Osteo- 
pathic Registration and Examination. The com- 
pensation of the Secretary and expenses proper 
and necessary in the opinion of said Board to 
discharge its duties under and to enforce the 
law, shall be paid out of such fund, upon fully 
itemized bills certified by the President and Secre- 
tary as having been duly authorized by the 
Board. Such bills shall be presented to the Audi- 
tor General who shall draw his warrant upon 
the State Treasurer for the payment thereof. 
Section 4.-The certificate provided in section 
2 of this act shall entitle the holder thereof to 
practice Osteopathy in the state of Michigan, in 
all of its branches as taught and practiced by the 
recognized colleges or schools of Osteopathy, 
but it shall not authorize him to practice medi- 
cine within the meaning of Act No. 237 of the 
Public Acts of 1899, or acts amendatory there- 
to: Provided, That nothing in this act shall be 
construed as to prohibit any legalized Osteo- 
pathic physician in this state from practicing 
medicine and surgery after having passed a sat- 
isfactory examination before the State Board of 
Medical Examiners in the State of Michigan. Os- 
teopathic physicians shall observe and be sub- 
ect to the state and municipal regulations relat- 
ing to the control of contagious diseases, the 
reporting and certifying of births and deaths, 
and shall have the right to certify to births and 
deaths. 
Section 5.-Every person holding a certificate 
from the State Board of Osteopathic Registra- 
tion and Examination, shall have it recorded in 
the office of the county clerk of the county in 
which he expects to practice, and the date of the 
recording shall be indicated thereon. Until such 
certificate is filed for record the holder shall 
5 exercise none of the rights or privileges con- 
ferred therein. The county clerk shall keep, in 
a book provided for the purpose, a complete 
list of all the certificates recorded by him, with 
the date of the recording of each certificate. Each 
bolder of a certificate shall pay to the county 
clerk a fee of one dollar for making such rec- 
ord. 
Section 6.-Any person who shall practice or 
attempt to practice, or use the science or system 
of Osteopathy in treating diseases of the hu- 
man body, or any person who shall buy, sell or 
fruadulently obtain any diploma, license, record, 
or registration to practice Osteopathy, or who 
shall aid or abet in such selling or fraudulent 
obtaining; or who shall practice Osteopathy un- 
der cover of any diploma, license, record, or reg- 
istration to practice Osteopathy, illegally obtain- 
ed, or signed or issued unlawfully or under 
fraudulent representations; or who after con- 
viction of felony shall practice Osteopathy, or 
who shall use any of the forms of letters, "Osteo- 
path," "Osteopathist," "Osteopathy," ' 'Osteo- 
pathic Practitioner,'' "Doctor of Osteopathy," 
"Diplomate in Osteopathy," "D. O.," or any oth- 
er titles or letters, either alone or with qualify- 
ing words or phrases, under such circumstances 
as to induce the belief that the person who uses 
such terms is engaged in the practice of Osteo- 
pathy, without having complied with the provi- 
sions of this act, shall be deemed guilty of a mis- 
demeanor, and upon conviction thereof, shall be 
fined not less than fifty dollars, nor more than 
five hundred dollars, or be imprisoned in the 
county jail not less than thirty days nor more 
than one year, or both: Provided, That nothing 
in this act shall be construed as prohibiting any 
lawfully qualified Osteopathic physician in any 
other State or county meeting a registered Osteo- 
pathic practitioner in this State for consulta- 
tion ; or any Osteopathic physician residing on 
the border of a neighboring state, and duly an- 
6 thorized under the laws thereof to practice, 
whose practice may extend into this State, and 
who does not open an office or appoint a place 
of meeting or receive calls in this State; or any 
Osteopathic physician duly registered in one 
county, called to attend isolated cases in another 
county. It shall he the duty of the prosecuting 
attorneys of the counties of this State to prose- 
cute violations of the provisions of this act. 
Section 7.-This system, method or science of 
treating diseases of the human body known as 
Osteopathy is hereby declared not to be the prac- 
tice of medicine, or surgery within the meaning 
of act number two hundred thirty-seven of the 
public acts of eighteen hundred ninety-nine of the 
State of Michigan and not subject to the provi- 
sions of said act: Provided: That this act shall 
not apply to any legally qualified medical prac- 
titioner practicing medicine and surgery, under 
act number two hundred thirty-seven of the pub- 
lic acts of eighteen hundred ninety-nine or acts 
amendatory thereto, nor shall this act apply to 
masseurs or nurses practicing massage or manual 
Swedish movements in this State. 
Section 8.-All acts or parts of acts in conflict 
with this act are hereby repealed. 
Approved. 
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