The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-09-11

DR.. ID. b. Eastman, Who Died Today.
DIR. B. D. Eastman was the first
superintendent of the State Insane
asylum at Topeka. He came from
Worchester, Mass, when he was su-
perintendent of the Massachusetts
State Insane asylum to open the To-
peka institution. He opened the To-
peka asylum in the spring of 1879,
when the institution, then with but
one ward building and another par
TALLY completed, and the institution
far from the city on the open prairie.
DR.. Eastman was recognized as an
authority on insanity and the building
and management of insane asylumS
before he came to Topeka. He grad
uated from the college of Physicians
and Surgeons, the medical depart
ment of Columbia university, New
York. A few months after his grad
uation he was appointed assistant ply
sician of the New Hampshire asylum
for the insane at Concord. He re-
mained there few years and then be-
came assistant physician at the Gov
ernment asylum for the insane at
for seven years, until he was appoint
ed superintendent for the asylum at
WorcheSter.
He remained in worchester for sew
en- years and during that time built
the new state hospital at Lake Quin-
sigamond. He prepared the plan of
the institution and it was built under
his supervision. This hospital was
pronounced by experts to be the best
planned insane asylum in the country
and many institutions were after
wards built on the same plan.
During Mr.. Eastman'S long service
at the Topeka asylum the institution
was developed from capacity for 100
patients to an institution with build
ings for nearly 1000 inmates. DR..
Eastman was superintendent of the
Topeka asylum for 18 years, with the
exception of two short periods during
the Click Democratic administration
and the Llewelling Populist adminis-
tration, when he was succeeded by po-
litical appointees. In each instance
DR.. Eastman was recalled in a short
time.
1t was under DR.. Eastman's ad-
ministration that the plans of the
beautiful new asylum grounds were
made and the preliminary work
which was later 20 make such fine
showing was done. AS early as 1880
ting out the trees. planning the drives
and beautifying the grounds. The
recommendations which DR.. Eastman
made to the legislatures many years
buildings and various improvements
have since been carried out.
DR.. Eastman was born on a farm
near North Conway. New Hampshire,
D, o.
in 1854 when he spent three years in
ST. Louis. DR.. Eastman was married
in 1865 to Caroline Warner Ely of ST.
Johnsbury, Vermont. who died in To-
peka in 1899. In 1902 Dr. Eastman
married Maria L. Warren of Topeka.
DR.. Eastman was the founder of
the New England Psychological So
ciety and a member of several medi-
cal associations. From the founding
of the Kansas Medical college of To-
peka until 1907. when his health no
longer permitted, he was professor of
psychiatry and professor of materia
medica and therapeutics.
DR.. Eastman was one of the
recognized insanity experts of the
country and he devoted his active |
professional life to the study of in |
sanity and of the methods of treat |
ment and care of the insane. He was
a prominent member of the National |
of Superintendents of
Asylums and was contributor to
leading publications pertaining to
mental diseases. He was a recognized /
authority on asylum buildings and
their equipment and the Worchester
state hospital built according to his
plans and ideas was pronounced by
experts to be the first model insane |
asylum built in this country.
DR.. Eastman is survived by his wife
and one son, Phillip Eastman. man
aging editor of the Topeka Daily
Capital.