The importance of forensic science is mainly linked to crime and crime scene investigations. But have you ever thought about the history of forensic science? How did it all begin? When were forensic techniques first used? Who were the first forensic scientists?
What do you think of when you hear the words "forensic investigator"?
Don’t you instantly imagine a cool, serious character wearing sunglasses and latex gloves?
You probably start picturing high-tech computers, UV lights, and crime labs full of fancy equipment. That's the image modern crime shows have given us of a forensic investigator.
Want to know how important forensic science has been over the years? We've got the answers right here.
Understanding the meaning of Forensic Science:
The word "forensic" comes from the Latin word "forensis," which means "forum."
Forensic science is used in any field that deals with the legal system. Basically, it’s about using scientific methods and principles to solve legal problems.
In simple terms, forensic science is what investigators use to solve crimes.
Earliest Applications of Forensic Science:
Forensic science is a big part of today's criminal justice system, but it’s still pretty new. Interestingly, the importance of forensic science goes way back to ancient civilizations.
The first use of forensic science dates back to ancient Greece and Rome. Those societies made huge contributions to medicine, especially pharmacology. Their research on toxins helped people understand how they were used in past murders. (pretty cool and kinda creepy, right?).
Have you heard of “mummification”? Did you know that the Egyptians were the first to perform an ‘autopsy’ around 3000 BC? They had a religious practice of removing and examining internal organs after death. So, they were the earliest civilization to do autopsies.
The first officially recorded autopsy happened in 44 BC. A Roman physician named Antistius examined the body of Julius Caesar. Even though Caesar was stabbed 23 times, the autopsy showed that one chest wound was the actual cause of death. Early in the 1st century AD, a Roman orator and jurist named Quintilian used basic forensics to prove someone was innocent.
The Roman model is the foundation of today’s court and legal system. So, it's not surprising that they applied scientific principles to examine evidence. However, after the fall of the Roman Empire, the use of forensic science in criminal justice slowed down for a long time.
Ever wondered what the first guide to pathology was? It’s a book called "Xi Yuan Lu" (The Washing Away of Wrongs) published in 13th century China by Song Ci.
"Xi Yuan Lu" is the first written account of using medicine and entomology to solve crimes. It’s one of the earliest guides on determining the cause of death. The book explained how to tell an accidental death from a murder by examining the weapon used. It also covered important topics like how to preserve evidence during an examination, how to make an antiseptic, how to find hidden injuries on dead bodies and bones, how to calculate the time of death based on the weather and insects, and how to wash a dead body for examination. (yep, pretty detailed and a bit gross)
One of Song Ci’s stories in his book talks about how to solve a murder case using basic methods. First, the investigator tested different blades on an animal carcass and compared the wounds to the real one. This helped him figure out that the murder weapon was a sickle. Next, he asked everyone in the area to bring their sickles to one spot. The murderer confessed when flies gathered on his sickle because of the smell of blood.
The book also provided methods and logic to figure out if a death was a suicide, accident, or murder.
The first version of what we now call the Polygraph test was pretty strange. Back in ancient times, people used to check a suspect’s mouth and saliva to figure out if they were guilty or not.
In ancient India, they’d stuff a suspect’s mouth with dry rice, and in China, they used rice powder. After that, they’d make the person spit it out.
The idea was that if the person was guilty, they would produce less saliva. So if the rice got stuck in their mouth, they were basically found guilty. (Definitely not the most reliable method, but it was something, right?)
By the early 1800s, the recognition of fingerprint patterns was studied, but decades would pass before that observance was applied to criminal and personal identification.
In the early 1900s and 2000s, forensic science really started to take off with new methods for analyzing evidence. This made law enforcement realize they needed special forensic teams to gather and examine all the evidence properly.
Importance of Human Capital in this Industry:
Forensic science has a long history, but it’s still not fully appreciated, even though its potential keeps growing. Every day, new techniques are introduced that make forensic investigations even better.
But even with all these advancements, investigations still need a human to analyze and make sense of what happened at a crime scene. A forensic investigator today has tons of tools and scientific knowledge to help, but you can’t forget that the human factor is what really ties everything together. Forensic science can figure out the "how" of a crime, but it takes a human brain to figure out the "why." It’s up to the crime scene investigators and law enforcement to understand the motive before the trial can even happen.
I hope you all enjoyed reading this article, as much as I enjoyed researching the topic and writing it!