Page:The Art of Cross-Examination.djvu/167

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SOME FAMOUS CROSS-EXAMINERS

its functions, its capabilities to allow the blood to pass through it, and in how short a time a man could bleed to death through the temporal artery; also, how far excitement in a body stirred almost to frenzy in an embittered conflict, and largely under the influence of liquor on a hot day, would tend to produce apoplexy. I was relieved on these two points in my subject, but relied wholly upon the testimony of a surgeon that the man bled to death from the cut on the temporal artery from a stone in the hand of my client. That surgeon was one of those whom we sometimes see on the stand, who think that what they don't know on the subject of their profession is not worth knowing. He testified positively and distinctly that there was and could be no other cause for death except the bleeding from the temporal artery, and he described the action of the bleeding and the amount of blood discharged.

"Upon all these questions I had thoroughly prepared myself.

"Mr. Butler. 'Doctor, you have talked a great deal about the temporal artery; now will you please describe it and its functions? I suppose the temporal artery is so called because it supplies the flesh on the outside of the skull, especially that part we call the temples, with blood.'

"Witness. 'Yes; that is so.'

"Mr. Butler. 'Very well. Where does the temporal artery take its rise in the system? Is it at the heart?'

"Witness. 'No, the aorta is the only artery leaving the

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