NCJ Number
15426
Date Published
1966
Length
713 pages
Annotation
HISTORY OF THE APPLICATION OF SCIENTIFIC METHODS TO THE IDENTIFICATION, ASSEMBLY, AND ANALYSIS OF CRIMINAL EVIDENCE, HIGHLIGHTED BY NUMEROUS ACTUAL CASES.
Abstract
THE TEXT REVIEWS INDIVIDUALS, ORGANIZATIONS, AND CASES WHICH WERE OF SIGNIFICANCE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF CRIMINALISTIC AND CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIVE METHODS IN EUROPE AND AMERICA IN THE LAST HALF OF THE NINETEENTH AND THE FIRST HALF OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURIES. CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE FIELD ARE DIVIDED INTO THE FOUR MAJOR AREAS OF PERSONAL IDENTIFICATION, FORENSIC MEDICINE, TOXICOLOGY, AND BALLISTICS. THE HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF EACH OF THESE AREAS IS TREATED SEPARATELY. THE TOPICS COVERED INCLUDE FIREARMS IDENTIFICATION, POISON ANALYSIS, AUTOPSY, FINGERPRINTING, THE ROLES OF CORONER AND MEDICAL EXAMINER, AND THE BERTILLON SYSTEM FOR THE IDENTIFICATION OF PERSONS. THE TEXT FEATURES THE HISTORY OF THE ADOPTION AND DISCONTINUANCE OF VARIOUS METHODS BY POLICE AGENCIES IN DIFFERENT COUNTRIES. ALSO INCLUDED ARE AN EXTENSIVE BIBLIOGRAPHY AND A LARGE NUMBER OF ILLUSTRATIONS AND PHOTOGRAPHS RELATED TO FAMOUS CASES AND IMPORTANT CONTRIBUTORS TO THE FIELD. --SPANISH TRANSLATION OF AN ORIGINAL GERMAN DOCUMENT ENGLISH TRANSLATION IS NCJ-012080