Final answer:
Licensed physicians became involved in the US coroner system over time, within the context of a broader professionalization and regulation of the medical field during the 19th and 20th centuries. Early forms of government health services like the Marine Hospital Service set precedents for professional medical involvement, and despite lacking a specific date, this trend continued into public health areas such as the coroner system.
Step-by-step explanation:
The involvement of licensed physicians in the US coroner system evolved over time. While health reformers and medical practices were diverse and largely unregulated in the early 19th century, the American Medical Association (AMA), established in 1847, worked toward professionalizing the medical field, although their early influence on medicine was limited. Indeed, professional medical organizations like the AMA and the founding of specialized associations and reforms over time signified steps towards the involvement of trained physicians in systems such as coroner offices. This involvement was further supported as the field of medicine advanced with significant contributions from Black physicians, despite the racial discrimination and barriers they faced, such as the formation of the National Medical Association in 1895 to create a space for Black physicians.
One illustrative change that predates but arguably set a standard for professional medical involvement was the Marine Hospital Service (MHS) established in 1798, which later transitioned into what is now the National Institutes of Health (NIH). This early public health service required MHS doctors to inspect ships, signifying the government's recognition of the importance of medical expertise in such roles. It is within these broader movements towards professionalization, and the recognition of medical expertise in public health and safety roles, that licensed physicians began to be involved in coroner systems, albeit not within a neatly defined date.
Nonetheless, the implementation of licensed physicians in the coroner system varied across states and was part of a gradual trend of transitioning from a system run by elected lay individuals to those requiring medical qualifications, further accelerated during the 20th century as the medical profession became increasingly specialized and regulated.