The justiciary again bent his head, and, leaning on his hand, closed his eyes.  The merchant, who sat near Nekhludoff, barely kept awake, and from time to time swayed his body.  The prisoners as well as the gendarmes behind them sat motionless.

The internal examination disclosed: 

1.  The skin covering of the skull easily detached, and no hemorrhage was noticeable. 2.  The skull bones were of average thickness and uninjured. 3.  On the hard membrane of the skull there were two small discolored spots of about the size of four centimetres, the membrane itself being of a dull gray color, et cetera, et cetera, to the end of thirteen more clauses.

Then came the names of the witnesses, the signature and deduction of the physician, from which it appeared that the changes found in the stomach, intestines and kidneys justified the conclusion “to a large degree probable” that the death of Smelkoff was due to poison taken into the stomach with a quantity of wine.  That it was impossible to tell by the changes in the stomach and intestines the name of the poison; and that the poison came into the stomach mixed with wine could be inferred from the fact that Smelkoff’s stomach contained a large quantity of wine.

“He must have drank like a fish,” again whispered the awakened merchant.

The reading of this official report, which lasted about two hours, did not satisfy, however, the prosecutor.  When it was over the justiciary turned to him, saying: 

“I suppose it is superfluous to read the record of the examination of the intestines.”

“I would ask that it be read,” sternly said the prosecutor without looking at the justiciary, sidewise raising himself, and impressing by the tone of his voice that it was his right to demand it, that he would insist on it, and that a refusal would be ground for appeal.

The associate with the long beard and kind, drooping eyes, who was suffering from catarrh, feeling very weak, turned to the justiciary: 

“What is the good of reading it?  It will only drag the matter out.  These new brooms only take a longer time to sweep, but do not sweep any cleaner.”

The associate in the gold eye-glasses said nothing, and gloomily and determinedly looked in front of him, expecting nothing good either from his wife or from the world.

The report commenced thus:  “February 15th, 188-.  The undersigned, in pursuance of an order, No. 638, of the Medical Department,” began the secretary with resolution, raising the pitch of his voice, as if to dispel the drowsiness that seized upon every one present, “and in the presence of the assistant medical director, examined the following intestines: 

“1.  The right lung and heart (contained in a five-pound glass vial).

“2.  The contents of the stomach (contained in a five-pound glass vial).

“3.  The stomach itself (contained in a five-pound glass vial).