CHAPTER 364.
OF VETERINARIANS.
AN ACT TO REGULATE THE PRACTICE OF VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY IN THE STATE OF DELAWARE.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Delaware in General Assembly met:
Section 1. That a State Board of Examiners, known as the "State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners," is hereby established, to consist of three members, each of whom shall, at the time of his appointment, have practiced veterinary medicine for at least five years immediately preceding such appointment, shall be a graduate of a reputable veterinary college or colleges and shall be of good standing in the veterinary profession. The members of the said board shall be appointed by the Governor of the State of Delaware for terms of three years, beginning on the first Monday in June after their appointment, and shall continue in office until their successors are appointed and duly qualified. All vacancies in said board, however happening, shall be filled by appointment by the Governor for a full three years term, beginning with the date of such appointment. On the expiration of the terms of any appointees to said board, the Governor shall appoint successors to said members whose terms thus expire, so that at all times the board may have a full complement of membership.
Section 2. The first meeting of said State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners shall be held on the first Monday in June, A. D. 1903, at an hour and place to be mutually agreed upon by the members of said Board. At said first meeting of said board an organization shall be effected by the election from their own membership of a President, Secretary and Treasurer. Said Board shall have power from time to time, to adopt such by-laws and regulations as they may deem expedient to carry into effect the provisions of this Act.
Section 3. Said Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners shall hold at least two specified meetings in each year for the examination of proposed practitioners of veterinary medicine and surgery in the State of Delaware. Said Board shall give public notice by advertisement in one or more newspapers published in the City of Wilmington in said State, of the time and place of holding such examinations. Said Board may, in its discretion, hold other meetings for the purpose of making such examination at any time within its discretion upon giving like public notice. At said meetings for the holding of such examinations a majority of the members of the Board shall constitute a quorum thereof for the purpose of such examination. By the appointment of said Board any member thereof may be appointed a committee of one to hold such examinations, provided that in every case the said examinations shall be passed upon by at least a majority of said Board. Said examinations may be either written or oral, or both, in the discretion of said Board, and shall cover and include such subjects related to veterinary medicine as said Board shall, by its by-laws, determine. Said Board shall also have power to examine and pass upon the genuineness and sufficiency of all diplomas which shall be presented to them by any applicants for license to practice veterinary medicine within the State of Delaware. When any applicant for license to practice veterinary medicine in this State shall have passed said examination therefore successfully, said Board shall forthwith issue to him a license to so practice. Such license shall be subscribed by the President and Secretary of the State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners and be duly recorded in a book to be kept by said Board. Said Book containing the record of said license shall be a public record and open to public inspection by any citizen.
Section 4. Any person proposing to take said examination shall make written application therefor to the Secretary of said Board, and shall accompany said application with satisfactory proof that said applicant is upwards of twenty-one years of age and of good moral character; that he has obtained a good common school education and has received a diploma conferring a degree of veterinary medicine and surgery from some legally incorporated veterinary college or colleges. In case of failure at any such examination, any applicant may, after the expiration of six months and within a period of two years after the taking of such examination, have the privilege of a second examination by the said Board without the payment of any additional fee. Any practitioner of veterinary medicine and surgery who has practiced such profession for five years next prior to his application to said Board, or who has been examined and licensed by the State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners of any other State or country, may apply to said Board for said license, and upon payment of a fee therefor shall be granted said license without the examination aforesaid: Provided, that such applicants to said Board for said license without such examination shall submit, with their said application for said license to said Board, satisfactory proof of their having practiced veterinary medicine within this State for said five years, or that said applicant has submitted to an examination substantially similar to that required by said State Board of Veterinary Examiners established by this Act.
Section 5. Every applicant for the license of said Board, whether he shall be examined as aforesaid or shall obtain his license without such examination as aforesaid, shall pay to said Board a license fee of ten dollars. Said money so obtained shall be devoted to the payment of the expenses of said Board, and should there be a surplus above said expenses, to the payment of a reasonable compensation, within the discretion of said Board, for the services of the members of said Board in their offices aforesaid.
Section 6. Nothing in this Act shall be construed so as to interfere with or punish commissioned veterinarians of the Unit States Army, or any legally qualified veterinarian residing in other States or countries who may be called in consultation with any veterinarian of this State, or any veterinarian residing on the border of a neighboring State and duly authorized under the laws thereof to practice veterinary medicine and surgery, but whose practice may extend within the limits of this State, provided that such veterinarians shall not, without obtaining the license of this Board as aforesaid, open an office or appoint a place to meet patients or receive calls within the limits of the State of Delaware.
Section 7. Any person who shall, after the first day of January, A. D. 1904, within the limits of this State, practice veterinary medicine or surgery, without having the license of said State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners, and contrary to the provisions of this statute, shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction thereof in any county of this State, shall pay a fine for the first offense of twenty-five dollars, and for every subsequent offense of one hundred dollars.
*The Board hereby constituted shall, in case of the conviction of any person to whom it has issued a license under the provisions of this Act of a felony, or in case any such license shall, to the satisfaction of said Board, be shown to have become an habitual drunkard, have power to revoke the license so granted to such person.
*Printed as enrolled.
Section 8. All Acts and parts of Acts inconsistent herewith shall be and are hereby repealed.
Section 9. Nothing in this Act shall be construed to interfere with or punish any farmer who treats his own or his neighbors' live stock.
Approved March 17, A. D. 1903.