Licensed to Practice

"The tale told by Professor Mohr is not a dry sequence of facts, but is instead an evocative page-turner. Mohr’s description of the characters in this tale is massively evocative and filled with palace intrigue and scheming worthy of Henry II... To learn the fascinating details I refer you wholeheartedly to this marvelous depiction."

"Mohr presents a thoroughly researched and eminently readable account of the times, people and circumstances that led to the passage of the West Virginia licensing law and its subsequent legal challenges... Reading this fascinating and personal history of a watershed moment in physician regulation encourages one to dig deeper into the history of medical regulation."

"In sprightly prose Mohr explains how the practice of medicine came to be licensed. His archival sleuthing has unearthed a complex drama involving personalities, ideas, and interests."

"Mohr clearly explains the rationale for opposing licensing and makes it easy to understand why for over a decade legal authorities remained confused and unconvinced by the decision. This book will be a useful case study for historians attempting to make the case for the contingent nature of change to non-historian policy makers."

"Licensed to Practice covers a lot of ground... [James C. Mohr] provides a definitive account of Dent, makes an important contribution to the history of medicine in the United States, and offers an interesting study of regulation in the Progressive era."

"Licensed to Practice is a valuable contribution to the history of US medicine and public health. Mohr frames the unique features of the West Virginia law and its subsequent legal history. He presents new information on the individuals involved."

"Mohr’s book does a superb job presenting not just the history and the legal debates leading to Dent, but also offers well-thought-out criticisms of the consequences of the Supreme Court’s Dent decision for issues such as the medical malpractice system and the policing of physician competence post-licensure. He manages to present all of this, including the rather arcane and complex legal issues in an accessible and easily-understood manner even for those who are not steeped in constitutional law or historical research."

"Mohr’s effective blending of engaging narrative with cogent historical analysis makes this book a useful resource for historians of medicine, legal historians, as well as those interested in social history. But the book is also appealing to medical, legal, and regulatory professionals seeking a historical perspective on medical licensing, its impact on practice, and the implementation of public health in the United States."