Edme Castaing
Encyclopedia
Edme Castaing was a French physician and is thought to have been the first person to use morphine
to commit murder.
, France
, the youngest of
the three sons of an Inspector-General in the department of Woods
and Forests. He went to school in Angers
where he was an outstanding student winning many prizes. He graduated from the School of Medicine in Paris
becoming a doctor in 1821, by which time he had fathered two children with the widow of a judge. He was under financial pressure, which became further exacerbated by a friend's debt of 600 francs, for which he had vouched in 1818 and which became due in 1820.
aggravated by consumption
. On September 18, it was later shown in court, Castaing had purchased 10 grains of acetate
of morphia.
Two days later on October 7, Auguste cashed 100,000 francs of stocks, which he was later seen giving to Castaing. Auguste would later claim that this was to be used as a bribe to get the family lawyer, Lebret, to destroy a will by Hippolyte that favoured the brothers' sister. On October 10 though, Castaing gave a stockbroker 66,000 francs to invest, then on the 11th he sent his mother 30,000 francs and on the 14th gave his mistress 4,000 francs.
On December 1, 1822, Auguste made out a will with Castaing as sole legatee
. It was deposited with Castaing's cousin, a notary
's clerk on May 29, 1823. That same day, Castaing and Auguste went on holiday to the countryside near Saint Germain
and spent the next day back in Paris in Saint Cloud where Auguste fell ill. Castaing had that day purchased 36 grains of morphia. The next day, on June 1, Auguste died. The following day Castaing was arrested and a post-mortem was held. Though it deemed Auguste to have died from natural causes, Castaing was not released.
but soon gave it up. He was then moved to Versailles
prison.
His trial commenced before the Paris Assize Court on
November 10, 1823, and lasted eight days. He was charged with the murder of Hippolyte Ballet, the destruction of a document containing the final dispositions of Hippolyte's property, and with the murder of Auguste Ballet. The three charges were to be tried simultaneously. The acte d'accusation (indictment
) against Castaing consisted of a hundred closely printed pages.
Castaing was defended by two advocates - Roussel, a schoolfellow of his, and the famous Pierre-Antoine Berryer, though the latter's speech is not considered one of his most successful ones. According to Irving, Berryer "gave personal testimony as to the taste of acetate of morphia. He said that with the help of his own chemist he had put a quarter of a grain of the acetate into a large spoonful of milk
, and had found it so insupportably bitter to the taste that he could not keep it in his mouth."
Much hinged on the lack of morphia in the bodies of the deceased. In his concluding address, Berryer "quoted the words addressed by one of the Kings of France to his judges: "When God has not vouchsafed clear proof of a crime, it is a sign that He does not wish that man should determine it, but leaves its judgment to a higher tribunal."'
Medical opinions differed as to the nature of the poison used in the murders. The jury took two hours to decide the verdict. They found Castaing innocent of the murder of Hippolyte but guilty of destroying his will and guilty by seven votes to five of the murder of Auguste.
Castaing, in a last statement before being sentenced said:
(using poison hidden inside a watch, which was brought to him in prison by a friend) he was executed on December 6, 1823.
Morphine
Morphine is a potent opiate analgesic medication and is considered to be the prototypical opioid. It was first isolated in 1804 by Friedrich Sertürner, first distributed by same in 1817, and first commercially sold by Merck in 1827, which at the time was a single small chemists' shop. It was more...
to commit murder.
Early life
Castaing was born in AlençonAlençon
Alençon is a commune in Normandy, France, capital of the Orne department. It is situated west of Paris. Alençon belongs to the intercommunality of Alençon .-History:...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, the youngest of
the three sons of an Inspector-General in the department of Woods
and Forests. He went to school in Angers
Angers
Angers is the main city in the Maine-et-Loire department in western France about south-west of Paris. Angers is located in the French region known by its pre-revolutionary, provincial name, Anjou, and its inhabitants are called Angevins....
where he was an outstanding student winning many prizes. He graduated from the School of Medicine in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
becoming a doctor in 1821, by which time he had fathered two children with the widow of a judge. He was under financial pressure, which became further exacerbated by a friend's debt of 600 francs, for which he had vouched in 1818 and which became due in 1820.
Murders and fraud
He befriended two wealthy lawyer brothers, Hippolyte and Auguste Ballet. In October 1822 Hippolyte died from a sudden illness, leaving 260,000 francs to be split between his brother Auguste and their sister. Castaing, who had been treating Hippolyte, and another doctor conducted the autopsy, concluding that Ballett had died of pleurisyPleurisy
Pleurisy is an inflammation of the pleura, the lining of the pleural cavity surrounding the lungs. Among other things, infections are the most common cause of pleurisy....
aggravated by consumption
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
. On September 18, it was later shown in court, Castaing had purchased 10 grains of acetate
Acetate
An acetate is a derivative of acetic acid. This term includes salts and esters, as well as the anion found in solution. Most of the approximately 5 billion kilograms of acetic acid produced annually in industry are used in the production of acetates, which usually take the form of polymers. In...
of morphia.
Two days later on October 7, Auguste cashed 100,000 francs of stocks, which he was later seen giving to Castaing. Auguste would later claim that this was to be used as a bribe to get the family lawyer, Lebret, to destroy a will by Hippolyte that favoured the brothers' sister. On October 10 though, Castaing gave a stockbroker 66,000 francs to invest, then on the 11th he sent his mother 30,000 francs and on the 14th gave his mistress 4,000 francs.
On December 1, 1822, Auguste made out a will with Castaing as sole legatee
Legatee
A legatee, in the law of wills, is any individual or organization bequeathed any portion of a testator's estate.-Usage:Depending upon local custom, legatees may be called "devisees." Traditionally, "legatees" took personal property under will and "devisees" took land under will. Brooker v....
. It was deposited with Castaing's cousin, a notary
Civil law notary
Civil-law notaries, or Latin notaries, are lawyers of noncontentious private civil law who draft, take, and record legal instruments for private parties, provide legal advice and give attendance in person, and are vested as public officers with the authentication power of the State...
's clerk on May 29, 1823. That same day, Castaing and Auguste went on holiday to the countryside near Saint Germain
Saint-Germain-en-Laye
Saint-Germain-en-Laye is a commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France in north-central France. It is located in the western suburbs of Paris from the centre.Inhabitants are called Saint-Germanois...
and spent the next day back in Paris in Saint Cloud where Auguste fell ill. Castaing had that day purchased 36 grains of morphia. The next day, on June 1, Auguste died. The following day Castaing was arrested and a post-mortem was held. Though it deemed Auguste to have died from natural causes, Castaing was not released.
Arrest and trial
Castaing was taken to Paris, where an investigation commenced that lasted 5 months. For the first three days Castaing feigned insanityInsanity
Insanity, craziness or madness is a spectrum of behaviors characterized by certain abnormal mental or behavioral patterns. Insanity may manifest as violations of societal norms, including becoming a danger to themselves and others, though not all such acts are considered insanity...
but soon gave it up. He was then moved to Versailles
Versailles
Versailles , a city renowned for its château, the Palace of Versailles, was the de facto capital of the kingdom of France for over a century, from 1682 to 1789. It is now a wealthy suburb of Paris and remains an important administrative and judicial centre...
prison.
His trial commenced before the Paris Assize Court on
November 10, 1823, and lasted eight days. He was charged with the murder of Hippolyte Ballet, the destruction of a document containing the final dispositions of Hippolyte's property, and with the murder of Auguste Ballet. The three charges were to be tried simultaneously. The acte d'accusation (indictment
Indictment
An indictment , in the common-law legal system, is a formal accusation that a person has committed a crime. In jurisdictions that maintain the concept of felonies, the serious criminal offence is a felony; jurisdictions that lack the concept of felonies often use that of an indictable offence—an...
) against Castaing consisted of a hundred closely printed pages.
Castaing was defended by two advocates - Roussel, a schoolfellow of his, and the famous Pierre-Antoine Berryer, though the latter's speech is not considered one of his most successful ones. According to Irving, Berryer "gave personal testimony as to the taste of acetate of morphia. He said that with the help of his own chemist he had put a quarter of a grain of the acetate into a large spoonful of milk
Milk
Milk is a white liquid produced by the mammary glands of mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals before they are able to digest other types of food. Early-lactation milk contains colostrum, which carries the mother's antibodies to the baby and can reduce the risk of many...
, and had found it so insupportably bitter to the taste that he could not keep it in his mouth."
Much hinged on the lack of morphia in the bodies of the deceased. In his concluding address, Berryer "quoted the words addressed by one of the Kings of France to his judges: "When God has not vouchsafed clear proof of a crime, it is a sign that He does not wish that man should determine it, but leaves its judgment to a higher tribunal."'
Medical opinions differed as to the nature of the poison used in the murders. The jury took two hours to decide the verdict. They found Castaing innocent of the murder of Hippolyte but guilty of destroying his will and guilty by seven votes to five of the murder of Auguste.
Castaing, in a last statement before being sentenced said:
I shall know how to die, though I am the victim of ill-fortune, of fatal circumstance. I shall go to meet my two friends. I am accused of having treacherously murdered them. There is a Providence above us! If there is such a thing as an immortal soul, I shall see Hippolyte and Auguste Ballet again. This is no empty declamation; I don't ask for human pity. I look to God's mercy, and shall go joyfully to the scaffold. My conscience is clear.
Execution
After a failed appeal and a failed suicide attemptFailed suicide attempt
Failed suicide attempts comprise a large portion of suicide attempts. Some are regarded as not true attempts at all, but rather parasuicide. The usual attempt may be a wish to affect another person by the behaviour. Consequently, it occurs in a social context and may represent a request for help....
(using poison hidden inside a watch, which was brought to him in prison by a friend) he was executed on December 6, 1823.
See also
- Dr John Bodkin AdamsJohn Bodkin AdamsJohn Bodkin Adams was an Irish-born British general practitioner, convicted fraudster and suspected serial killer. Between the years 1946 and 1956, more than 160 of his patients died in suspicious circumstances. Of these, 132 left him money or items in their will. He was tried and acquitted for...
- suspected of murdering his patients with morphine - Dr Harold ShipmanHarold ShipmanHarold Fredrick Shipman was an English doctor and one of the most prolific serial killers in recorded history with 218 murders being positively ascribed to him....
- convicted of murdering his patients with morphine