This corruption was possible because the medicine men 
had methods of varying the strength of the poison accord- 
ing to the size of the bribe, or to their own judgements 
of the person’s guilt or innocence. Thus, in a dispute 
between two parties, both were served poison, but the 
toxicity of one dose was often altered by the decision of 
the administrator. Slaves who were not royal property 
were usually given non-toxic doses. Then, when they 
had partially succumbed, they were removed, revived, 
and carried to distant villages where they were sold. 
However, royal slaves were customarily forced to endure 
the entire ordeal, and usually died. 
In conjunction with the widespread corruption of 
witch doctors was the fact that cruelty in dealing with 
the accused persons was ever present. In 1831, an officer 
suspected of sorcery was ‘‘keeping the watch’’ by his 
father’s body when his captors arrived. In spite of his 
pleas that his action was an innocent custom, he was car- 
ried off to the ordeal. In another case, a man who was 
unable to rise because of a fever was taken on his bed to 
the place of administration where his dose was doubled 
‘‘to clear up the fever.’’ So strict was this lack of mercy, 
that few friends or relatives of the accused ever dared 
dispute the summons lest they be forced to submit on 
suspicion of complicity. (Chatin, 1873) 
However, in spite of these corrupt practices, the people 
usually had an unswerving faith in the ordeal’s inherent 
justice, and drank the poison with willingness and assur- 
ance. They believed that there was a good spirit present 
who would strike the hearts of the guilty, and pass by 
those of the innocent. 
Aside from the earlier practice of executing criminals 
by pricking them with a lance dipped in the juice of the 
kernel, the normal method of administration was as fol- 
lows: While present before the judge(s), the person was 
[ 273 ] 
