1000 LAWS OF MARYLAND. [CH. 465

The members of the Medical Board shall devote as much of
their time as may be required to perform the duties and carry
out the functions of the Board as set forth in this Article. The
Chairman of the Medical Board shall receive an annual salary
of Two Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($2500. 00) and the
two associate members of the Board shall receive an annual
salary of Two Thousand Dollars ($2000. 00) each, and each
member of the Board shall be entitled to the reasonable and
necessary traveling and other necessary expenses incurred
while actually engaged in the performance of their duties.

32H. Upon the filing of a claim for compensation for death
from an occupational disease where an autopsy is necessary
to accurately and scientifically ascertain and determine the
cause of death, such autopsy shall be ordered by the Medical
Board and shall be made under the supervision of the coroner,
medical examiner or public official equivalent thereto. The
Medical Board may designate a duly licensed physician, who
is a specialist in such examinations, to perform or attend such
autopsy, and to certify his findings thereon. Such findings
shall be filed with the Medical Board and shall be a public
record. The State Industrial Accident Commission also may
exercise such authority on its own motion or on application
made to it at any time by any party in interest, upon the
presentation of facts showing that a controversy may exist in
regard to the cause of death or the existence of any occupa-
tional disease. All proceedings for compensation shall be
suspended upon refusal of a claimant or claimants to permit
such autopsy when so ordered, and no compensation shall be
payable for any period during which autopsy is refused.

The State Industrial Accident Commission shall refer every
claim for compensation for an occupational disease to the
Medical Board for investigation, hearing and report, except-
ing, however, such cases wherein there are no controverted
medical issues. No award shall be made in any such case until
the Medical Board shall have duly investigated and heard the
case and made its report and its decisions with respect to all
medical questions at issue. The date of disablement, if in
dispute, shall be deemed a medical question.

The Medical Board, upon reference to it of a claim for oc-
cupational disease, shall notify the claimant or claimants and
the employer to appear before it at a time and place stated in
said notice. At such hearing either party may offer testimony
of such witnesses as they may desire, which shall become a
part of the record of the proceedings before the Medical Board.
If the employee be living, he shall appear before the Medical
Board at the time and place specified and shall then or there-
after submit to such examinations, including clinical and
X-ray examinations, as the Medical Board may require. The