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REVIEW OF DENTISTRY. 39

DENTAL STATE LAWS.

Until the year 1842 the practice of dentistry was free in all the
United States. This year the first law relating to the practice of
the profession was passed in the state of Alabama. To-day every
state and some of the territories have laws governing the prac-
tice of dentistry. The laws in force at present are related below:

ALABAMA.
REGULATING THE PRACTICE OF DENTISTRY, AS AMENDED FEBRUARY
28, 1887, NOW IN FORCE.
Be it Enacted by the Ge/ieral Assembly of Alabama:
Section i. That from and after the passage of this Act it
shall be unlawful for any person to engage in the practice of
dentistry in the State of Alabama, unless said person has obtained
a license from a Board of Dental Examiners duly authorized and
appointed by this Act to issue such license; Provided, That den-
tists who have been in the regular practice of dentistry for five
years next preceding the passage of this Act,* shall not be
required to submit to an examination and shall be entitled to a
license without a fee, which shall be transmitted to him by mail
or otherwise, upon his application, accompanied by an affidavit
to the fact of his having been in the regular practice for the
required time.
Sec. 2. Be it Enacted by the General Assembly of Alabama, That
the Board of Dental Examiners shall consist of five (5) dental
graduates or practitioners of dentistry who have obtained a license
to practice dentistry from a Dental Board organized under this
Act, and who are members in good standing of the Alabama
Dental Association; Provided, That said graduates or practitioners
have been practicing dentistry in the State of Alabama for a
period of not less than three (3) years.
Sec. 3. Be it further enacted, That it shall be the duty of said
Alabama Dental i\ssociation, at its annual meeting in April, 1887,
to elect said Board of Examiners, whose terms of office shall be

respectively five, four, three, two and one years, in the order in
which they are elected, and at each annual meeting of said i\sso-

*The passage of this Act took place on February 11, 1881.