Forensic History and Observations Notes

Vocabulary flashcards based on the Forensic History and Observations study sheet.

Forensic Science

The application of science to criminal and civil laws.

Mathieu Orfila

Known as the father of toxicology; studied arsenic and other poisons, and was the first forensic chemist to testify against a witness to end in a conviction.

Alphonse Bertillion

Devised the first scientific system of personal identification in 1879 and also invented the mugshot.

Francis Galton

Cousin of Darwin who conducted the first definitive study on fingerprints and their classification, and invented the questionnaire.

Leone Lattes

Developed a procedure to determine blood type (A, B, AB, or O) from dried blood. Sir Conan Doyle had his character Sherlock Holmes do the same test in his book A Study in Scarlet in 1887.

Calvin Goddard

Invented the comparison microscope to compare items side by side; used in ballistics to see if a specific gun fired a bullet.

Albert Osborn

Developed the fundamental principles of document examination in 1910.

Walter McCrone

Used microscopy to analyze evidence, mostly hair, fiber, and other samples.

Hans Gross

Came up with the concept of criminal investigation, was the first to combine psychology and science, and was the first to begin crime scene photography.

Edmond Locard

One of the most famous forensic scientists of all time who started the first crime lab in Lyon, France in 1910 and came up with Locard's Principle.

Locard's Exchange Principle

States that every contact leaves a trace; when a criminal comes in contact with an object or person, a cross transfer of evidence occurs.