The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-06-13
LOVE CAN DO IT.
DR.. Eastman, the Insanity Expert,
Says Love Can Lead to Insanity

Gays Love Can Lead to Insanity.
A Journal reporter this morning in
terviewed Dr. B. D. Eastman, who for
many years was superintendent of the
state insane asylum at Topeka and who
is recognized as the foremost expert
and authority on insanity in this part
OF the country, in regard to the Collins
case. DR.. Eastman was asked, grant
ed that John Collins killed his father
do you think he was insane at the time
of committing the act?"
THAT is a question 1 am not pre-
pared to answer said DR.. Eastman
There are a great many persons who
can answer that question off hand and
positively affirm whether, under the
circumstances, John Collins was
and experienced expert like the salts
factory juror, does not announce his
verdict until the evidence is all in and
the case closed. To answer your ques-
ton correctly, satisfactorily and scien-
tifically would require the most palms.
taking and thorough investigation of
the case in all it's bearings. I think
you can appreciate in some degree the
force of this statement by considering
how many divergent and contradictory
views of the way in which Mr. Collins
met his death have been expressed"
Can you give an account of any
such cases as this one is supposed to be
that have come under your observa-
tion?''
mo two cases are alike and can not
point you to any such case, but there
have been a good many cases more or
less like this in various particulars.
may not be able this morning to call to
mind many cases having similarity to
this of John Collins, but I will mention
two or three.
"A married woman with three chill
dren, of a religious turn of mind, went
to bed, apparently well as usual but
during the night she had very vivid
and distressing dream in which she
seemed to see her dead sister suffering
the pains of hell. When she awoke,
she insisted upon the reality of this
vision and no one could persuade her
that it was only = dream. Upon
awakening the next morning her mind
had recovered its normal tone. In a
case formerly under my care a young
man in what was supposed to be an
attack of somnambulism went some
distance from home and made a very
violent homicidal attack upon a play
mate. He was afterwards adjudged in
sane and sent to an asylum where he
finally committed suicide. Sudden I'M
premeditated homicidal attacks are
not infreQuently made by persons who
are subject to epilepsy.
DO you know anything of the Porne-
roy case in Massachusetts?
Not by personal observation. al
though the matter happened when re-
sided in that state. The attending cir
cumstances are scarcely similar to
those of the Collins case. Pomeroy was
a boy about IS or IA years old who in
duced a smaller boy to go with him to
a scheduled place and there tormented
him and finally killed him with pocket
knife. The boy appeared to be entirely
unappreciative of any wrong doing,
completely lacking in moral tone,
case of moral idiocy. The question as
to whether he was, properly speaking,
insane or not, was a mooted one, ana
finally decided, according to my recol-
that he not insane IN the
proper Specification of the term. He
was sent to states prison, beneVe:
what do you know OF the wine Sell
case in this State?''
''All know is only through the news
papers. 1t was stated that several
members of his family were killed, by
whom it could not at first De determ-
ined After a time various circum-
stances fixed the crime upon Sell who
was tried and convicted Efforts TO
prove him insane and to get MIN acqult-
ted on that ground were not successful
and he is now in the Kansas penlten-
tiary."
what effect does the use of cocaine
have upon the mind?"
cocaine as a surgical or medical rem
edy has no particular erect upon the
mind, but the danger in its use IS that
it is a very seductive drug ana II
person begins its use he is 11able TO be
come more and more enslaVed TO II
until he becomes broken in body and
mind. In this state, When the SUBJECT
becomes a perfect slave to ITS contln-
ued and increasing use, he is in de-
pIorable condition. He is debilitated
and broken in bodily health ana ms
mind becomes wrecked. He is liable to
be filed with decisions of an appre-
hensive character, imaglnes enemies
are pursuing him, becomes eXclted ana
fearful, searches every part OF the
house, for instance, for theS1 imaginary
foes with the intention OF lnflctIng
summary vengeance upon them: rms
is not a condition of brief duration or
GOODNESS but is potent to beholders, full
of excitement and demonstration
What about the suggestion that
person may become love crazy!
ezra illness or insanity is the mental
manifestations of a disease OF the brain,
the organ of mind. Impaired health,
over work, worry, etc, may lead to in
sanity by causing impairment OF the
brain When insane the mind may run
upon religion, finance. losses or other
topics and the expression is often used
that a person is insane on religion or
on the subject of finance which properly