The Poison No Test Could Find

Name: The Poison No Test Could Find
Genre: Documentary

An alarming autopsy points toward poisoning, but every chemical test returns empty.

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Transcript

A half-smoked cigarette rested on the man's collar—but testing found no common poison.
Body found December 1st, 1948, at Somerton Park beach near Adelaide.
Autopsy showed acute gastritis, hemorrhage, and liver, spleen, brain congestion.
Yet the pathologist thought the man was in top physical condition.
Pathologist John Dwyer was convinced the death was not natural. He suggested either a barbiturate or soluble hypnotic.
But testing revealed no foreign substance.
His spleen was about three times normal size.
His last meal was a pasty eaten about three to four hours before death.
His hands showed no manual labor, while 16 teeth were missing.
Yellow stains marked his fingers, and another cigarette was tucked behind his ear.
The pathologist estimated death around 2 a.m. on December 1st.
Dr Robert Cowan found no common poison; he thought any poison would be very rare.
Coroner couldn't determine identity, cause, or if anyone saw him on the beach.
They embalmed his body December 10th, 1948.

Then Adelaide railway station staff discovered a brown suitcase with its label removed, checked in the day before the man died.

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