September 21, 1950
Hon. Clifford H. Robinson, President
Texas State Board of Chiropody Examiners
Fort Worth, Texas
opinion HO. v-1108
Res The .legalltyof'bhlrop-
odiete aQn&nlsterIng,
preecrlblng,and
Dear Dr. RoblmOns pensing narcot1o
Pour request for an opinion presents the r01-
lowing queeetioar
"Is a Texas llcenaed chiropodist,uuder
Article 4567 R.C.S. (lg25), In good faith and
In the course of hia professionalpractice OP-
lg, entitled to administer,preacrlbe, and Qls-
peme Rarcotlc Qrugs, or cause the 8ame tobe
adadnlstered by a nurse or lnterne under hle
directiori and supervision?*
...
Article 4567, V.C.S., protlaess
'WhlropoQyt means the diagnoals,medloal
and surgical treatment of the htman foot. A
chiropodist1s one who praotlaes ahlropoQy.a
Article 725b, .V.P.C., provldees
0. . .
“(2) *Phyf5lclan~ means a person author-
izea by law to practice medicine In this State
and any other person authorized by law to
treat sick and injured hwnaa beings In this
State and to use narcotic drug8 In conneotlon
wlth such treatment.
*
. . .
“Sec.~ 2A. It shall not be rmla@uJ. to
manufacture,po88888, have, control, aell,
prescribe, aQmLnlster, QlBpc)lllle,
or oampotmd
.
. .
Eon. Clifford H. Robineon, page 2 (V-1108)
any narcotic drug vhere Beme 18 authoriced
wader the term of this Act.
I. . .
"Sec. 7. (1) (Physlolam
A physician or a d8nti8t, in good faith and'
in the oour8e o$ hla profe88lonalpractice on-
ly, my prescribe, admlnlster,sod di8peII88
narcotic -8, or he may cans8 the 8ame to
be a&lnletered by a parse or Interno rmder
hle direction and 8up8rv1810n."
The question presented for our determinationis
vhether a chiropoQlst la a physician within the manlng of
the lfarcetleDrug Law (Art* 725b, V.P.C.).
State 116 ‘pex.Crlm. 392, 32 S.W.2Q
460 (1930),%x!-
*The tbrioitian of qpby81c1anqa8 qone
authoricedto pzesarlbe remrUe for and
treat dleeaeee, a doctor 0r m6ialne q 18
approvea in Pwwitt v. Denver, 11 Coio.App.
70, 52 P. 286, and Castner Y. Sllker, 33
X.J. law 507 in which latter oase appear8
the statem& that a pbgsiCla~ in comaon
parlance 18 one skilled in both medicine aad
8tW 8rj. In Harrison v. State, 102 Ala. 170,
15 ii4
o. 563, the word qphy81clanq18 &ifltieQ~
as one vho has,recelveda degree of X.Dj;'orie
v&o lawfully praotlces~medlcl3e;eriewhoprb-
fesses or practices medicine Sor the healing
art .a.
Artlale 4510, V.C.S., provl4esr
.Any person shall be regarded a8 prac-
tio~ngmetuoine vithlnthemeanlng of this
law
l(l) ,Fho shall publlclg~professto be a
phyelcian or 8tWg ande Onshall treat, or of-
fer to treat, any dlease or tlieorder mental
br phgsical, or any phy&e+l deformlCy or in-
jury, by amy system or method, or to effeot
- .
. -
Hon. Clifford H. Rabineon, page 3 (v-1108)
cures thereof; (2) or who shall treat oz?offer
to treat any disease or d.l.sorQep,
mental or
physical or any physical Qeformlty OP lnjq
by any system or method and to effect cures
thereof and obarge therefor Qlpectlg or lndl-
rectly, noney or other compensation;provided,
however, tbat the provisions of this Article
shall be eonstrued with and in view of Artl-
cle 740, Penal Code of Texae, and Article 4504,
Revised Civil Statute8 of Texas as con*lned
in tbiLeAct."
In view of the foregoing, it is our opinion that
a ChirOpOdi8t is a p aiclan wltbin the meaning of the
mrcotic Drug Lav (Ar 7 . 725b, V,P.C,) and 18 authorized
to admInister, prescribe,and dlspenae narcotic QNgs or
cau8e the same to be adndnlsteredby a nurse or Interns
under his Qlreotlon and aupervlalon. A registered chl-
ropodlat 18 authorleed to u8e a local anaesthetlo in the
practice of his profession. Art. 7i'g,V,P.C. "Looal
ane8the81an 18 defined a8 'affectinga llmlted part, . . .
by lnje@ing that part with a locally active agent like
cocaine.'Yeb8terqs Bew InternationalDictionary (SGd
edition, 1938). Cocaine is obtained from cocoa leave8 and
the deflnltlon'of*Earcotlc Drugs" contained in Artlele
725b, Vernonq8 Penal Code, Includes cocoa leaYeS. (-ha-
81s added.)
SUXMARY
A licensed Texas ChirOpOdi8tis author-
ized to adadnlster, preacrlbe, and Qlepense
ParCOtiO drugs.
APPROVEDI Pours very truly, -
J. C. Davis,Jr. PRICE INRIEL
county Affairs mvlieion Attorney General
Everett Eutchin8on
Executive Aes%.etant
Char188 D. Mathew
Flret A8818tant