Medical jurisprudence : closing address / by Alexander Lindsay.

  • Lindsay, Alexander.
Date:
1875
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Medical jurisprudence : closing address / by Alexander Lindsay. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    entered the pulpit without betraying the greatest nervousness. Strange as it may seem to some, we believe the sensitive will make the best witnesses for attaining the ends of justice; that is to say, they will weigh well the gravity of their position, and so prepare with care to perform its requirements. With the examination in chief, as a rule, there is little or no difficulty. You are only going over that on which you have been previously examined; with this, consequently, you should be familiar. However, let your answers be short, and see that you reply to the question. More, let them, after due consideration, be freely and openly given, and without reservation. If a simple Yes or No will serve the purpose sufficiently, this is all that is required. Let fall no word unless absolutely necessary, or in the way of explanation. In short, tell the truth without circumlocution; otherwise you may find your mistake afterwards. The difficulties of a witness generally begin with the cross_ examination, particularly so if this is conducted by one who regards the interest of his client as everything—justice with the feelings of the witness as nothing. It strikes us that the license exercised by counsel in the courts of Scotland is never so great as sometime happens in those of England and Ireland. This conclusion we have reached from a study of the trials in the different countries. In some cases we have seen examples of what we consider extreme license, that have caused us to wonder they were not checked by the presiding judge. This, then, is a contingency to which we must be prepared to submit. If you are well prepared you have notliing to fear. In giving your answers follow the same course as in your exami- nation in chief. Never lose your temper however much annoyed, else you will be apt to lose your head. Even when you have a good opportunity never retort—in doing so you may fail and so again lose yourself. One difficulty that may not annoy so much as perplex is the being questioned on matters having not the slightest relation apparently to that being expiscated. We have been in the witness-box for two hours under cross-examination