Pitzer v. Indiana State Board of Medical Registration & Examination

177 N.E. 876, 94 Ind. App. 631, 1931 Ind. App. LEXIS 179
Indiana Court of Appeals·Decided October 8, 1931·No. No. 14,363.·Published·Cited by 6 cases

Opinion

*633 Curtis, J.

Bryant Ernest Pitzer (appellant herein) applied to Indiana State Board of Medical Registration and Examination (appellee herein) for a certificate for license by examination to practice the healing art of chiropractic. The board refused to grant appellant such certificate and license and refused to give him an examination in chiropractic in pursuance of his application. From this refusal, appellant appealed to the Superior Court of Marion County, which court rendered judgment sustaining the refusal of said board to give appellant such examination and to grant him such certificate and license. From this judgment, appellant appeals and assigns as error the overruling of his motion for a new trial, under which it is contended that: (1) The decision is not sustained by sufficient evidence, and (2) the decision is contrary to law.

The evidence is undisputed and shows substantially the following facts: That Bryant Ernest Pitzer is a high school graduate; that on September 4, 1928, he matriculated in the Lincoln Chiropractic College and continued in such institution as a student regularly until March 7, 1930; that the course of instruction in such school was of three years duration, which was divided into terms of six months each; that it was possible to complete the course of instruction in eighteen consecutive months; that materia medica, surgery and obstetrics were not taught in the course of instruction at the school in question; that appellant graduated from said school and received a diploma with the degree of Doctor of Chiropractic, on March 7, 1930.

The evidence further shows that on August 7, 1930, appellant made a written application on the forms provided by appellee board for a certificate and license to practice chiropractic according to the method and system taught by the Lincoln Chiropractic College; that on January 13, 1931, the Indiana State Board of Medi *634 cal Registration and Examination refused appellant such certificate and license and refused to give appellant an examination and gave their written reasons as follows: “The application of Bryant Ernest Pitzer for a license to practice Chiropractic is hereby refused for the reason that he has not graduated from a college maintaining a standard of medical education conforming to that fixed by the board in accordance'with the Statutes of Indiana, and for the further reason that he has not satisfied the board that he has complied with the minimum requirements to entitle him to receive such a license. For the foregoing reasons the board hereby refuses also to give the said Bryant Ernest Pitzer an examination for license as applied for.”

Section 5 of the Medical Act, Acts 1897, ch. 169, p. 225, as amended in 1901 (Acts 1901, c. 211, p. 475, §1), being §12239 Burns 1926, sets forth the duties of appellee board, and among other things, provides that: “The said board shall also, in like manner, establish and cause to be recorded in such record a schedule of the minimum requirements and rules for the recognition of medical colleges, so as to keep these requirements up to the average standard of medical education in other states.” In pursuance of this provision, appellee board, in 1917, adopted and published certain minimum requirements for medical colleges, which requirements are yet in full force and effect. It would serve no good purpose to set out these requirements herein, but suffice it to say that appellant admits that he is not a graduate of a medical school meeting the minimum requirements of appellee board. But, however, it is appellant’s contention, that even though he is not a graduate of a school meeting the minimum requirements of the Indiana State Board of Medical Registration and Examination, he is, under section 2 of the Medical Act, Acts 1897, ch. 169, p. 255, as amended in 1899 (Acts 1899, ch. *635 145, p. 247, §1), being §12235 Burns 1926, entitled to be given an examination in chiropractic, and that if he makes a suitable grade, he is entitled to a license to practice the healing art of chiropractic.

Appellee, however, argues that §12235 does not apply in the instant case but says that §12239 being repugnant to the former section, 12235, appellant is not entitled to a license or examination until he has produced evidence to show that he is a graduate from a school meeting the minimum requirements as set out by the appellee board.

The sole question to be decided in the instant case, therefore, is: Is §12235 Burns 1926, so repugnant to and irreconcilable with §12239 Burns 1926, that the former is repealed by the latter. If the two sections are not in conflict and if the former governs in this case, the judgment must be reversed, but if the latter repeals the former, then the judgment must be affirmed.

Section 2 of the Medical Act, Acts 1897, ch. 169, p. 255, as amended in 1899 (Acts 1899, ch. 145, p. 247, §1), being §12235 Burns 1926, after setting forth certain prerequisites to an applicant’s being entitled to a license to practice medicine, provides that: “In the event an applicant for a certificate from the state board of medical registration and examination shall present a diploma from a medical college which is not recognized as maintaining a sufficiently high grade or standard of medical education, as defined and fixed in the records of the board, the applicant shall have the privilege of being examined as to his qualifications to practice medicine, surgery and obstetrics, in such manner as the board shall provide. And if he shall pass an examination satisfactory to the board, he shall receive a certificate the same as if he had presented a satisfactory diploma and other ■ evidences of qualifications for the practice of medicine.”

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Pitzer v. Indiana State Board of Medical Registration & Examination, 177 N.E. 876, 94 Ind. App. 631, 1931 Ind. App. LEXIS 179 (Ind. Ct. App. 1931).

177 N.E. 876 (Pitzer v. Indiana State Board of Medical Registration & Examination) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

Related

Lucas v. STATE EX REL. BOARD, ETC.
99 N.E.2d 419 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1951)
State Ex Rel. Blieden v. Gleason
65 N.E.2d 245 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1946)
Ellestad v. Swayze
130 P.2d 349 (Washington Supreme Court, 1942)
State Ex Rel. Board, Etc. v. Cole
20 N.E.2d 972 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1939)
Davis v. State Board of Medical Registration & Examination
5 N.E.2d 125 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1936)