Opinion No. 35-900
February 14, 1935
TO: Major E. O. Braught, Acting Administrator, New Mexico Relief Administration, Santa Fe, New Mexico.
{*43} We are in receipt of letter dated February 14th from the New Mexico {*44} Board of Public Welfare, wherein an opinion is desired as to the legality of employment of chiropractors and also the legality, under the laws of the State of New Mexico, for paying such chiropractors for services rendered in connection with relief work in this state.
These questions relate to regulations in connection with the Bureau of Public Health and the Bureau of Child Welfare as to the use of such chiropractors in connection with the function of both bureaus.
It is provided in Section 23-104 of the 1929 Compilation of New Mexico Laws that the holder of license to practice chiropractic in this state shall be entitled to "diagnose and treat diseases, injuries, deformities or other physical or mental conditions by the use of any or all methods as herein provided, such as palpating, diagnosing, adjusting and treating diseases, injuries and defects of human beings by the application of manipulative manual and mechanical means, etc."
It is also provided in Section 23-105 of the 1929 Compilation that "Chiropractic practitioners shall be required to observe all health and hygiene regulations of this state, and to report all infectious and contagious diseases to the proper health officers."
It is the opinion of this office that chiropractors may practice medicine in the State of New Mexico, subject to certain restrictions on the character of service which may be performed by chiropractors and as indicated in the foregoing quotation.
This being true, it follows that chiropractors, in the opinion of this office, are eligible to participate in the medical relief program in New Mexico.
Subject, therefore, to the said limitations, we see no reason to question the legality of employment of chiropractors in relief work so far as the laws of New Mexico are concerned and we see no legal objection to paying such chiropractors for services rendered in such work.