In considering the legal requirements of the practice of pathology, two questions naturally arise. First, does a person who carries out the activities of a pathologist really practice medicine? Second, if he does, does he do it in such a way that he brings himself within the purview of the medical practice act of his state so that he must be licensed to practice medicine?
What is pathology and what does a pathologist do? Most dictionary definitions of pathology define it as a branch of medicine which treats of the structural and functional changes caused by diseases. In states having basic science acts, pathology is named as one of the basic sciences along with bacteriology, anatomy and chemistry. None of the last-mentioned sciences, however, are defined as being branches of medicine. They are all defined as sciences, i. e., the science which treats of bacteria, the science of the structure