An offence, which Sheriff M’Donald said was punishable by a penalty of £lOO, was admitted in Hamilton Sheriff Court in October 1933 by James William Dunn, of 7 Watson Street, High Blantyre.
He was accused having, between June 19, 1929, and September 18. 1933. practised dentistry from his home without being registered in the Dentists’ Register under the Dentists’ Act. 1878. and with extracting teeth and contracting to supply dentures contrary to the Dentists’ Act. 1921. It was pointed out by the Depute Fiscal that James Dunn took up dentistry, and on two occasions sat examinations to qualify but failed. It was brought to the notice of the Dental Board that he was practising without being registered. In fairness to Dunn it ought to be said, continued the Depute Fiscal, that he suffered from a sense of grievance, and when he was charged with the offence he remarked that would make it a test case.
An agent explained that James had been employed as a qualified dentist in England for some years. The Dentists Act of 1921 allowed men who had been practising dentistry for five years to become registered without an examination. Through the death of his employer, he was in the unhappy position of being unable to produce evidence and records showing his experience. Sheriff Macdonald remarked that the penalty here in Scotland, was one of £100, but on Dunn promising to cease practising in Blantyre as a dentist, he imposed a nominal fine of 40s, or fourteen days’ imprisonment.
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