No person practising either of the branches of medicine, surgery, or midwifery is permitted to enforce in the courts the collection of a fee or compensation for services rendered or medicine or material furnished in the practice of any of the branches for which he has not a certificate (_ib._, s. 3,917). EXCEPTIONS.—The law does not apply to the practice of dentistry, nor to the practice of midwifery by women in the town or locality in which they reside, nor to practitioners of medicine who resided and practised medicine in the State for five years previous to November 28th, 1876 (_ib._, s. 3,918). VIRGINIA. BOARD OF EXAMINERS.—There is a State board of medical examiners consisting of three members from each congressional district and two from the State at large, and five homœopathic physicians from the State at large (Code 1887, s. 1,744). The board is composed of men learned in medicine and surgery appointed by the governor from a list of names recommended by the Medical Society of Virginia, together with five homœopathic physicians nominated to him by the Hahnemann Medical Society of the Old Dominion. The recommendations are required to be by votes of a majority present at some meeting of such society; but if the governor considers any person so recommended unsuitable he may decline to appoint him, in which case such society shall within ninety days after notification make another recommendation, and if the society fail to make a recommendation the governor is required to appoint such board in whole or in part without regard to such recommendation. If any examiner cease to reside in the district for which he was appointed his office is deemed vacant (_ib._, s. 1,745). The regular meetings of the board are required to be held at least once a year, and at such times and places as the board may prescribe, and special meetings may be held on the call of the president and any five members (_ib._, s. 1,746). QUALIFICATION.—The board at any of its meetings must examine all persons making application to them who desire to practise medicine or surgery; when an applicant shall have passed an examination satisfactory as to proficiency before the board in session the president must grant a certificate to that effect. If any applicant fail to pass a satisfactory examination before the board he shall not be permitted to stand a further examination within the next three months, nor shall he be required again to pay the fees prescribed, but no applicant shall be rejected on his examination on account of his adherence to any particular school of medicine or system of practice, nor on account of his views as to the method of treatment and the cure of disease.