222 JEROME CARDAN. 



the college, and the descendant of a noble race, even if 

 he were guilty, if he did this deed without a cause, if he 

 were not a youth, if he were not so simple-minded as he 

 is, ought not to incur the ordinary penalty, but only to 

 be exiled." 



Concerning the deed the pleader argued that murder 

 by poison had not been committed, and therein he urged 

 what he then and afterwards believed to be the truth, 

 Brandonia died, he said, from natural causes. Her physi- 

 cians stated that from the beginning of the fever under 

 which she had been labouring she had coldness of the 

 extremities and shivering fits, and four or five most com- 

 petent physicians, deputed by the senate to investigate, 

 reported that no signs of poison had existed either before 

 or after death, either without the body or within it. But 

 people do not die of poison without showing symptoms of 

 it ; if they do, why are investigations entered into and 

 decisions based upon them ? why are bodies inspected ? 

 Again, urging the evidence of the physicians, Cardan 

 quoted to the senate the opinion of Galen on the ease 

 with which it was possible to diagnose cases of poisoning. 

 Besides, he added, there can be no wonder that in this 

 case traces of poisoning did not exist, the quantity of 

 arsenic administered being so small. Only an ounce was 

 used, divided into three parts, of which the deceased took 

 only one, and that she vomited. " It would require," he 



