#history of forensic science

[er-cryptid]

alright nerds--

^tried to include as many as possible

[morbidology]

Nicolae Minovici is known as the doctor who hanged himself for science.

He had studied at the Faculty of Medicine and Bucharest where he developed a keen interest in forensic medicine and criminology. He was particularly fascinated in the changes in the body during violent deaths, especially hanging which was a common form of execution at the time.

After his graduation, he founded the first Institute of Legal Medicine in Bucharest and his work laid the foundation for modern forensic practices in Romania and influenced the development of criminology and forensic pathology in Europe.

Among his contributions to science was his experiments in hangings. In an effort to understand the physical and physiological effects of hanging, Minovici decided to conduct experiments on himself. Beginning in 1904, he hanged himself multiple times under controlled conditions. To avoid death, he used a system of ropes and pulleys that allowed him to control the pressure exerted on his neck.

The results of Minovici's self-experiments were groundbreaking. He described the sensations he experienced during hanging, including a tightening sensation in the throat, severe headaches, vision changes, and an overwhelming feeling of impending death. He also observed that the face quickly became congested and discolored due to the interruption of blood flow, a condition known as facial cyanosis.

Minovici's work contributed valuable insights into the mechanics of hanging and its effects on the body. His findings were published in a monograph titled Studies on Hanging, which became an important reference for forensic scientists and criminologists. His research helped to better understand the processes of asphyxiation and the physical signs of hanging, which were crucial for accurate post-mortem examinations in cases of suspected hanging.

[lindahall]

Frances Glessner Lee – Scientist of the Day

Frances Glessner Lee, a pioneer of forensic medicine in the United States, was born Mar. 25, 1879, in Chicago.

learn more

[unwillingtoreachout]

What are you guys' headcanons for what the foxes' majors would be? (as in alternative majors that you think they would take, not their canon ones)

[beyondcrimescenetapes]

Title: The First Forensic Case in China: The Farmer’s Sickle and the Flies

In the annals of forensic science, one of the earliest and most ingenious cases of using insects to solve a crime comes from medieval China. This story, recorded in a historical text from the Song Dynasty, showcases the remarkable use of forensic entomology to uncover the truth.

The Crime Scene

The case unfolded in a rural village where a farmer was found murdered, his body slashed repeatedly with what appeared to be a sickle, a common tool used for harvesting rice. The local magistrate, faced with the challenge of identifying the murderer, devised a clever plan to use the natural behavior of insects to solve the crime.

The Investigation

The magistrate gathered all the villagers who owned sickles and instructed them to place their tools on the ground in a designated area. He then stepped back and waited. Within minutes, blowflies, attracted by the scent of blood, began to swarm around one particular sickle. The flies, with their keen sense of smell, were drawn to invisible traces of blood and tissue that remained on the blade, even after the murderer had attempted to clean it.

The Confession

The owner of the sickle, realizing that the flies had exposed his crime, broke down and confessed. The magistrate, using the natural behavior of the blowflies, had successfully identified the murderer without relying on human testimony or physical evidence alone. This case marked the first documented use of forensic entomology in history.

The Legacy of Song Ci

A scholar named Song Ci documented this groundbreaking case in a book that laid the foundation for modern forensic science. His meticulous observations and detailed instructions on how to conduct autopsies and investigate crimes have been revered for centuries. Song Ci emphasized the importance of personal examination, accurate documentation, and the use of natural evidence to avoid miscarriages of justice.

The Importance of Forensic Entomology

This case highlights the significance of forensic entomology, the study of insects and their role in criminal investigations. Blowflies, in particular, are known for their ability to detect the scent of decomposing bodies within minutes of death. By studying the life cycle and behavior of these insects, forensic entomologists can estimate the postmortem interval (PMI), or the time since death, which is crucial in solving crimes.

Conclusion

The story of the farmer’s sickle and the flies is a testament to the ingenuity of early Chinese investigators and the enduring principles of forensic science. It serves as a reminder that even in the absence of modern technology, careful observation and the use of natural evidence can lead to justice. This historical case remains a cornerstone of forensic science, inspiring generations of investigators to seek truth through meticulous examination and scientific rigor.

[stevensaus]

Cambridge mapping project solves a medieval murder

“A tale of shakedowns, sex, and vengeance that expose[s] tensions between the church and England’s elite.”…

Cambridge mapping project solves a medieval murder

Archive Links: ais ia

[iva333can]

Beyond Vidocq: Criminal Investigation in 19th Century France

In our previous exploration of Eugène-François Vidocq, we witnessed the remarkable transformation of a career convict into the founding father of modern criminal investigation. His innovative methods laid the groundwork for systematic policing not just in France, but worldwide. But what happened after Vidocq’s departure from the Sûreté? How did criminal investigation evolve throughout the…

[laughinglikespring]

this is easily the most BORING topic

[forensicsciencestudent]

[if-you-fan-a-fire]

"Super-sleuth Traces Crime With Science," Kingston Whig-Standard. May 10, 1934. Page 13. ---- Vancouver's "Sherlock Holmes" Solves Seemingly Unsolvable Crimes. ---- VANCOUVER - Broken glass, paint, or a footprint mean little to the lay man but under the searching eye of Vancouver's criminologist, Inspector John Fleming Cullen Brown Varice, of the police bureau of science, such trifling clues are unravelled to reveal the story of a criminal and his crime.

In fact so successful has the inspector been in securing convictions against criminals that three attempts have been made on his life and were thwarted only through his keen powers of observation and the vigilance of police officers who guard him night and day.

For months he received threatening letters by the score, warning him to lay off certain cases. Only his keen analytical and inquiring mind saved him and a score of others from certain death when a parcel was delivered at his laboratory. It was found to contain an ingeniously constructed bomb.

Another Attempt Nipped Another attempt was nipped in the bud when a guard, tracing a smell of burning powder, discovered a bomb with a burning fuse beneath a corner of the house in time to prevent it exploding and possibly killing the inspector's wife and two children.

From a pair of footprints on a stone ledge and a bit of rubbed paint on the wall above it, the inspector reconstructed the description of a burglar who fled from a crime unseen. His deductions enabled police to arrest the man who subsequently was convicted.

Pieces of glass from a broken window and particles of paint scraped from a wall, found on the clothing of two prisoners sent the pair to jail for a daring robbery. They had pleaded not guilty but when Inspector Vance completed his testimony at the trial they refused to take the stand in their own defence.

A footprint on a carton of tobaccos convicted a man arrested near a ware- house which had been burglarised of a quantity of cigarettes and tobacco. Sudden death holding the elements of a mystery thriller and to all appearances murder, was unfolded to reveal an accident.

Police Puzzled For two weeks police of two cities in British Columbia puzzled over the death of a woman whose body was found, fully clothed and with a small suitcase strapped to the wrist, in an abandoned well which had a loose plank covering on top. Purplish stains, similar to cyanide, about the mouth led to suspicions she had been murdered and thrown into the well.

Inspector Vance, through chemical analysis of the woman's stomach, dis proved the poison theory and found the stains were caused by dye from the woman's clothing. When the inspector's finding was made public the farmer who made the gruesome find probed his memory and remembered he had placed the planks over the well to eliminate just such an accident in this case too late.

One the top floor at police headquarters Inspector Vance, already famous throughout Canada and the United States for his solving of baf- fling crimes, works with two assist ants. Here, the criminologist, looking more like a college professor preparing a class lecture than a detective, delves into crime clues in a laboratory only equalled, by the famous scientific bureaus of London and Paris.

All the instruments known to science for detecting crime are here. The microscope, one of the pioneer Instruments of scientific police work the magniscope which reveals in matter of seconds a forged signature: cameras used in finger-print work ultra-violet ray machines which will prove a handkerchief found at the scene of a crime came from the pocket of the prisoner. And in this modern laboratory a myriad of seemingly unsolvable problems occupy the smiling inspector as he continues his work of aiding the forces of the law

[missrandomdreamer]

Sometimes I wonder if there is something wrong with my brain because I cannot wrap my head around like math and science things. I am taking a class on digital curation and my brain just kind of looks at the words about coding and the articles we read and im just like uuhhhhhh

what dis?

How dis work?

What are these words?

I dont know if I just have issues concentrating or processing things like that or what

when it comes to history and arts im fine but when its like that type of science and especially math my brain is just

white noise @.@

[er-cryptid]

alright nerds

[rabbithaver]

new milo video is really fucking good. even if you know about Roopkund, it's absolutely worth watching anyway because he covers some discoveries published literally just last year!

[stormte]

Not even 2 weeks into the final term and I’ve already been on the verge of a breakdown over all the shit I got on my plate

[neurontosomething]

My Brain...comfort food,for thought

Some stuff I read / visited / painting / write #StephenBaxter #HGWells #WarOfTheWorlds #scifi #DylanDog #comic #Forensics #Warhammer #WarhammerCommunity #art #writing #blog