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Forensic Science - History and Evolution

Forensic Science, in other words criminalistics or criminology, involves the implementation of scientific techniques and protocols that assists in decision making in the field of criminal and civil law. This broad field of study involves different scientific practices such as the analysis of DNA, fingerprints, blood stain patterns, firearms, ballistics, toxicology, etc. Throughout the investigation, scientists gather, examine, and analyze the different evidences that has been provided to them. Some scientists prefer to travel to the crime scene for a better perspective and to collect the evidences by themselves, while others take up the role in the laboratory for a better analysis and research on the evidences provided to them by some other individual. Apart from being experts in the laboratories, forensic scientists also act as expert witnesses in the court of law working for either the prosecution or the defense.

The main essence of forensics lies in the investigation of crime and crime scene. Although, have we ever thought about the history of forensic science? Its origin? When were the techniques first came into use? OR, who were the first personnel to excel in this field of study? We have…. right? Presenting a brief history of forensic science.

The history of forensic science needs exploration as this topic itself was not discussed as much in the earlier times as it is now. The word forensics has originated from the Latin word “forensis” which means forum. Forensics is usually used in collaboration with a field of authority that is associated with the legal system. In a nutshell, forensic science is the application of scientific methods and techniques to matters under investigation by a court of law.

In ancient period, the style of death was naturally assumed by the condition and the site of death of the victim or the dead body. Let us say, a man had been found in a water body. It was usually assumed to have been drowned, while a man lying in a bloodied condition along the road side was assumed to have fallen and perhaps be dragged by a horse. Suspicion toward the motive of murder and the statement of the layman against a possible murder outweighed all other facts and when all else failed, heinous torture was done to get possession of a proper confession.

However, the exact origin of forensic science is still undetermined.  Majority of the experts have concluded presumptively, the origin was in China in the 6th century, or maybe earlier. The belief of this conclusive statement is based on one of the earliest known mentions of the concept, found in a book titled “Ming Yuen Shih Lu”.  

During the 7th century, fingerprints were put to use as a method of identification. According to the studies, a vendor was able to recognize a specific customer who was indebted to him by apprehending his fingerprints on a bill.  A judge in that case, was convinced of the prints as inarguable authentication, and set an example of forensic science in action. In the year1659, the word “forensic” found its way in the Merriam- Webster Dictionary.   

After publishing Traite de Poisons int the year 1813, Professor Mathew Orfila, a specialist in medicinal chemistry, was renowned as the Father of Toxicology. He is the first, who’s known to use a microscope for the assessment of blood and semen stains. Moreover, two Italian surgeons, named Fortunato Fidelis and Paolo Zcchia, laid the foundation for modern pathology. They were successful in doing so by studying the changes in the body’s structure because of sickness. The applicability of forensic science increased with the emergence of the 17th century along with other scientific developments.

In 1880, fingerprint analysis was used to link incidents to suspects, that marked a step forward in the evolution of forensic science. Henry Faulds and William James Herschel proposed a ground breaking theory on the uniqueness of fingerprints, which made fingerprint analysis possible. This study attracted huge support from worldwide experts, and it was ultimately recognized as the crucial evidence during court proceedings. During the crime scene investigations, Francis Galton and Edward Henry, put into practice, the technique proposed by Herschel. Sir Francis Galton first invented the technique to classify fingerprints.

The inspection of evidence from firearms such as guns, which is used in crime scene investigation is known as forensic ballistics. When a bullet is fired from a gun, microscopic markings of gunpowder are left on the bullet as well as the case of the cartridge. The markings of the gunpowder left on the bullet, act as aggravated fingerprints. Henry Goddard of Scotland Yard in 1835 was the first person who used the ballistic analysis to link a bullet ta murder weapon.  

The field of study that deals with how chemicals, substances and situation can harm living organisms specifically humans and animals is regarded as Toxicology. It revolves around studying the symptoms, detection and treatment of a human/animal body which is exposed to rigorous poisoning. In 1838, a Scottish chemist named James Marsh successfully applied the techniques of toxicology. Later on, this method was proven effective during the investigation of a murder case.

The development of newer forensic procedures for evaluating evidence exploded in the early 20th century. As a result, law enforcement authorities realized the need for specialized forensic investigator teams to gather and analyze evidences. Edmond Locard, “Sherlock Holmes of France” was a renowned forensic scientist of the 19th century. Locard is considered as the innovator in this field of research and had made significant influence in the development of criminalistics (along with the partnership of Joseph Bell and Archibald Reiss). Locard’s Exchange Theory, a basic principle he developed, is crucial for today’s law enforcement. In his theory, Locard stated that “when a person comes in contact with an object or another person, a cross-transfer of physical material can occur”. The world’s first forensic laboratory in Lyon, France established in 1910, had Edmond Locard as its director. His writings include no reference of “exchange principle”. However, he did say, “It’s impossible for a criminal to act without leaving signs of his or her presence, especially given the severity of the crime”. The term “PRINCIPLE OF EXCHANGE” first appears in 1940 in the book named Police and Crime Detection, and it was developed from His observations. Furthermore, there have also been many innovations during this period in some specific areas. For example, Karl Landsteiner was awarded the Noble Prize for his work on blood groups in 1930, as he was the first to divide human blood groups into four different categories. The study of blood further helped investigators in proceeding with their analysis of the crime scene. Scientists at the Aerospace Corporation in California in the 1970s, developed a scanning electron microscope method for the easy detection of gunshot residues. Other tests to check saliva, sperm, urine and sweat were developed in the mid-1990s.

The growth of forensic science has been aided by increased computational capacities. Photographs which are of high resolution and are essential for the proceedings of a murder case can now be saved and processed more easily due to increased computational and storage capacities. Criminology mostly works with the idea that resolves around the moto - “every case is different”. This idea generates a primitive conflict between researches focused on generalizable theories and professional crime reconstruction practices. On that account, it is essential to get hold of a long-term perspective while considering the probable opportunities and recommendable future directions in the field of forensics.  

While, it can be seen that the application of physical, natural, and social disciplines to legal issues is referred to as forensic science and the history of this field is very old. The first application of this field goes back to the history of ancient Rome, Greece and Egypt. The previously applied basics of criminology have not changed over the years and while it can answer how of a crime being committed, it can never solve the why. Analyzing a crime scene includes the intervention of human factors as well as scientific methods and procedures to get to the root of the incident that has occurred. While the evidence has the voice of their own, human intervention translates those evidence in the court of law ensuring justice is always served.