Montreal, February 21, 1920

Report on toxicological tests conducted on the viscera of “Aurore Gagnon.” The autopsy was carried out by Dr. A. Marois and the viscera sent to a medico-legal laboratory as ordered by the Coroner of the city of Quebec, Dr. W. Jolicoeur.

Information provided by the medical examiner led us to believe that there was the possibility that a toxic irritant had been ingested; therefore, we proceeded to concentrate our efforts on this category of toxic substances. Systematically analysed, none of the following toxins can go unnoticed: mercury (corrosive sublimate), lead, copper, arsenic, antimony, zinc, alumina, manganese, potash, lye and ammonia, etc. All of these toxic metals being absent, we searched for acidic irritants as well as iodine, etc., in the abdominal fluid, but have as yet not found any trace of these poisons. We then directed our research toward alkaloids which, although not irritants in themselves, can be mixed with any substance.

Following extraction using the Stas-Otto method, modified by Ogier, the residue was submitted to general alkaloid reactants, as well as to at least a dozen special reactants, covering the main series of common alkaloids. We found no trace of alkaloids.

Conclusion.
The analysis of the viscera of Aurore Gagnon revealed that there were no signs of poisons.

Dr. Wilfrid Derome
Director of the medico-legal laboratory