has testified to his madness; if therefore such contrariety of opinion should exist between those persons who are supposed most competent to detect insanity, it cannot diminish our confidence in the decision of an intelligent and impartial jury. It may here be proper to notice that in the criminal court the testimony of others is sufficient to establish the insanity of the prisoner. Under a writ de Lunatico Inquirendo, superadded to the testimony of others, the person supposed to be insane, is usually produced before the commissioners and jury, and by them examined, in order to confirm or invalidate the evidence which has been adduced, and to satisfy their minds that he _is_ a lunatic at the time of their enquiry. Although there is much fairness and impartiality in the examination of the patient by the commissioners and jury to ascertain by actual enquiry that his state of mind tallies with the evidence deposed: yet it sometimes occurs, that the patient, fully aware of the proceedings, will by subtilty endeavour to defeat them. He will artfully conceal his real opinions and even affect to renounce such as have been deemed proofs of his insanity, and on many occasions he has been so skilfully tutored as to foil the united penetration of lawyer and physician. It is on such occasions that the sagacity and experience of the medical practitioner are demanded, and it will in some instances occupy a considerable time to institute such examination as shall suffice to unravel the real state of his opinions. It is nearly impossible to give any specific directions for conducting such examination as shall inevitably disclose the delusions existing in the mind of a crafty lunatic; but in my own opinion it is always to be accomplished, provided sufficient time be allowed, and the examiner be not interrupted. It is not to be effected by directly selecting the subjects of his delusion, for he will immediately perceive the drift of such enquiries, and endeavour to evade, or pretend to disown them:—the purpose is more effectually answered by leading him to the origin of his distemper and tracing down the consecutive series of his actions and association of ideas:—in going over the road where he has stumbled he will infallibly trip again. If in a case of actual insanity the medical practitioner, from inattentiveness, mistake, or want of experience should fail to expose the real condition of the patient’s intellect, and he should be found not lunatic, he would be set afloat, to pursue the dictates of his perilous volition; he might uncontrolled dissipate his property, and reduce himself and family to beggary:—if his life were insured, if he subsisted on an annuity, or held a commission in the naval or military service he might wander and destroy himself, and thereby deprive his successors of their immediate support or expected benefit:—or he might commit some outrage for which he would be arraigned in a criminal court. The record of having been