The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-10-25
HERE ID WORK FOR
 EP|LEPT|C COLONY Dr. Spratling Addresses Medi-
 cal Society IS NATIVE ALBANIAN Has Made Epilepsy His Life Work. Offers AZ Acres in Chambers County for Institution State
 Has Provided For
 
IS NATIVE ALABAMIAH

The Jefferson County Medical society
 William P spratling of Baltimore, na-
 tive of Chambers county. Alabama, who
 has come to Alabama to aid in the es-
 tablishment of colony for epileptics.
 With the aid of the physicians of the
 state, and the popular interest Dr. Sprat- ling hopes to see Alabama join the other states which are caring for their epi- leptics. He offers to donate 442 acres of land which he owns in Chambers county for the purpose, and will remain in the state about a month to lend aid in every way possible to the movement. Through the efforts of Dr. McWhorter, who was a member of the late senate,
 bill was passed establishing an epilep- tic colony. but due to lack of funds, Governor Conner has never authorized its inauguration. Dr. Mcwhorter. who is
 now In the city, will call on Governor Conner today, and an effort will be made to get the governor to carry the law into effect.
 Wide Experience in Work Dr. Spratling was for 15 years, after leaving Alabama. a physician in New York He built the first colony for epi- leptics in New York state and the first in the United States, patterned after that which has been so successful in Ger many Since that time Massachusetts, New Jersey, Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Texas and Virginia have joined the pro- cession.
 The doctor has made the study of epi- lepsy his life work. He has for two years occupied the chair of nervous dis ease and physiology. in the College of Physicians and Surgeons In Baltimore. There are now in all the states which have established colonies" he said last
 night, "45oo under public care, while there are 17o,oOo sufferers in the United States. The average is one to every 5OC people, which means that Alabama has
 about 5000 epileptics.
 "Alabama now sends the uncontrola- | be cases to the insane asylum, which is neither to their advantage nor to that of the insane. It is important that they be segregated. Confinement doubles the number of attacks. It Is of great value | that they be employed. segregation al | lows a more careful study of the disease and enables physicians and nurses to be- come skilled in handling them. There are 20 or 30 different kinds of epilepsy In Small Comfortable Homes we take the dependent epileptics and colonze them in small, comfortable | homes with one acre to each individual which they cultivate. There is labora. | tory for the scientific study of the dis | ease, a hospital for the severe cases and schools for the education of the younger | ones Over S5 per cent of the cases oc- 1 cur before the twentieth year, as 1t is a I childhood disease. Sixteen per cent oi | all cases are inherited, thus necesstatins | the prevention of propagation"
 Dr. Spratling states that Alabama is al | the head of the list in her care of the Insane, but far behind In all other char | ity matters Alabama needs a state | board of charities, which should have su- pervision and control of asylums for the | insane, deaf, dumb and blind. county almshouses, and everywhere that defec- I tives are gathered. It should have the absolute right to compel counties tC spend money, to make changes. to order l transfers, to look after the diet and l treatment Tn New York this board is g constitutional body"