The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1901-11-17
TO COLONIzE
THE EPILEPT TICS
The. Movement in Virginia Decided
and Forcsful,
PROMINENT LEADERS PUSHING IT
There Are Fsa, thousand of These uufortu
nate Sufferers ID Virginia, Whose
Condition Can Be Greatly In
Compromise Plan.
PROMINENT LEADERS PUSHING IT
Especial p.spa,ch 10 The Times /,

5 PETERSBURG, VA, November To-
From the interest now being manifested
throughout: the State, an ep!leptic colony
In Virginia viii doubtless be a reality
after the next session OF the State Leg
is!aiure- a bill having in view the es-
adjustment of such colony came be-
fore the last Legislature and passed the
Senate with but four dissenting votes,
aud a canvass OF The House showed that
it would have passed that body by an
overwhelming majority but the bill was
acted on in the Senate too late to so to
the House before adjournment.
Dr. VT. Drewry. of the Central State
Hospital. at Petersburg. has been a
work IN the interest of such colony for
the past six years. While first assist
ant physician at the Central State Hospi-
tai he read a paper before the Medical
Society OF Virginia at their annual meet
ing in 1895 on State Provision for Epilcp-
tics The society Immediately acted Al
the matter and adopted resolutions com
mending the plans set forth by the paper.
STRONG ENDORSEMENT
AT two subsequent meetings the Medi-
cal Society of Virginia has again put Its
stamp of approval upon the measure,
and physicians, medical journals. the
press, humane organizations. the clergy
and many prominent individuals have all
been working IN the interest Of the col
ony.,
The Kings Daughters. il an annual
meeting in Suffolk recently, endorsed
plan, and that body, too, has begun
active work
THOUSANDS OF EF1LEPTICS.
There are at present no less than four
thousand epileptics in Virginia. About
two hundred are IN city and county
almshouses and local charitable insu-
tutions, white the jaiis harbor many IN
untold misery. More than three thou
Jy<%,S - a tod oil rll,oyl
throughout the State, In the novels OF
the poor as well as in the homes OF the
rich.
1t was in Virginia that there was erect
cd the first hospital on this continent eX-
clusiyely Tor the care OF the insane, and
it was Virginia that built the first, and
still maintains. the largest asylum icr
insane negroes in the world. 1t would
not seem fitting. therefore, that she be
the last to respond to the cry of the I'M
fortunate epileptics. when States. North
and South, are yearly making provision
for them.
The plan OF DR. Drewry and those as
ISOLATED with him III the work Is ihat
the colony be modelled in q great measure
after the Craig Colony. IN New AoIiS.
The plan is TO purchase or secure by
longtime lease fertile tract of land
in a healthful region. with pure-water
supply and good natural drainage near a
large town.
Farming fruit cultivation and other
similar industries are to be the !eaolhG
features in the beginning. II is believed
that incalculable benefit wil! be derived
from the schools IN eoucatnsS the children
and young people ana f!orl the shops IN
teaching the beneiiciar5cS trades ana
giving them industrial occupah tor
The opinion OF those foremost in the IN
terest OF the colony is that the expense
of the establishment and equipment shaii
be borne exclusively ny the State, but
lis maintenance be paid for in part by
the various counties and cities senCinS
patients There has been for some Tune
special provision at the Central State
Hospital for epileptics, sane and insane.
and Dr. Drewry believes that the present
plan at that institution could be contln-
ued, leaving the colony to care only ioI
the white cpileptics.
QUESTION. OF COST.
The only thing that is against the es-
Establishment of such colony is whether
or no. the state can afford to establish II
But this opposition would seem TO be OF
very little consequence, in view OF the
fact that 10 the colony were established
it would, in a. large degree be sclf-:us-
tanning. and. besides, would lessen the
costs in caring for the patients as at
u,resent in insane asylums. The bill to
he presented will ask for an appropria-
tion from the State of sS5ooo. 1t is be-
lieyed that this amount will be sufficient
to establish the colony along the plans
outlined.
d.. prcwry. in his recent paper on The
present Status of EIIleptics n Virginia,
read t,e,fo-e the National Association Tor
the Study Of Epileptics and the Care and
Treatment of Epileptcs,' at Washing
ton, d. c, last May, closed with the fol-
lowing appeal:
.It is the duty OF every physician every
h,tna every good citzen
Ito exercise his or her influence ana Iu'
forth efforts COR the amcliorato OF Lie
dep!orable condition OF the cDile2tic. 1t
will be n reproach upon this age OF Gu
lghtenm.nt i reflection: upon the beneV-
olence an. chlr.t.- of civilization, l. every
State in the Uaicn does not :3ool lleht.l
the burdens Of this Class Of Gods ai'ilcted
creatures