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Essay / History of hair and fiber analysis
In the history of forensic medicine, the importance of examining a hair or fiber has been recorded from the earliest stages. One of the first forensic papers involving the scientific study of hair was published in France, in 1857. This introduced the knowledge of hair and fiber analysis and this study continued to flourish into the early 20th century after forensic examinations of hair became known. In 1883 a landmark report on forensic science was published "The Principles and Practice of Medical Jurisprudence" by Alfred Swaine Taylor and Thomas Stevenson, in which a chapter on the use of hair in forensic investigations was written and included sketches of human hair under magnification. In 1910, a detailed study of hair entitled “The Hairs of Man and Animals” was published by Victor Balthazard and Marcelle Lambert, two French forensic doctors. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay A large number of microscopic studies of hairs from most animals have been included in this text. In 1931, Professor John Glaister published "The Hair of Mammals from a Forensic Point of View" and "A Study of the Hairs and Wools Belonging to the Mammal Group of Animals, Including a Special Study of Human Hair" ( 1937). It has become an important and widely used resource for hair analysis information. In 1977, John Hick laid the groundwork for the forensic pathologist's use of hair evidence in the publication of "Microscopy of Hairs: A Practical Guide and Manual." In this manual, the relevance of hair and fiber analysis in the field of crime has been established. These publications established the accuracy and validity of hair within forensic science. Forensic hair analysis has played a key role in the courts since the early 1900s. The academic and scientific world had to consider hair analysis as an established science. The first examination of hair in a criminal investigation took place during the murder of the Duchess of Praslin in 1847. Doctor Edmond Locard, a French scientist, was a pioneer in forensic medicine, often referred to informally as the "Sherlock Holmes of France”, because he founded the basic principle of forensic medicine: “Every contact leaves a trace”. Dr. Locard established that people constantly pick up and transfer pieces of hair, fibers, dust and other traces without realizing it. Dr Edmond Locard established that these material exchanges were essential to the analysis of a crime scene. This principle became known as Lockard's Exchange Principle and is the foundation of forensic science from the early 1900s to the present. A practice of Locard's principle is fiber analysis. Fiber transfer can occur during close contact with a victim or suspect. Textile fibers can also be transmitted from rugs or blankets through contact between two individuals, between an individual and an object, or between two objects. The analysis of fibers found on a victim will consist of determining the types of fibers present at the scene. Fibers found throughout the crime scene will not be as significant as a fiber found on a victim who is not present anywhere else at the scene. Indeed, if a similar fiber is found on a suspect, it can constitute strong evidence linking the suspect to the crime. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized paper now from our expert writers. Get a 1968.