physician." But the evidence did not go further.


[14] It was asserted some years later by one medical authority in
Palmer's case that it might have been morphia and not strychnine
that had caused the tetanic symptoms which preceded Cook's death.


To the young priest-like doctor the ordeal of his trial was
a severe one. It lasted eight days. It was only at midday on
the sixth day that the evidence was concluded. Not only was
Castaing compelled to submit to a long interrogatory by the
President, but, after each witness had given his or her evidence,
the prisoner was called on to refute or explain any points
unfavourable to him. This he did briefly, with varying success;
as the trial went on, with increasing embarrassment. A great
deal of the evidence given against Castaing was hearsay, and
would have been inadmissible in an English court of justice.
Statements made by Auguste to other persons about Castaing were
freely admitted. But more serious was the evidence of Mlle.
Percillie, Auguste's mistress. She swore that on one occasion
in her presence Castaing had reproached Auguste with ingratitude;
he had complained that he had destroyed one copy of Hippolyte
Ballet's will, and for Auguste's sake had procured the
destruction of the other, and that yet, in spite of all this,
Auguste hesitated to entrust him with 100,000 francs. Asked what
he had to say to this statement Castaing denied its truth. He
had, he said, only been in Mlle. Percillie's house once, and
then not with Auguste Ballet. Mlle. Percillie adhered to the
truth of her evidence, and the President left it to the jury to