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By the time The Washing Away of Wrongs was written in the mid-thirteenth century China had already been conducting forensic assessments for violent or suspicious deaths for centuries. Going as far back to at least the Ch’in Dynasty (221-207 BCE), the Chinese government ordered forensic investigations in hanging deaths (Sung 1247/1981, p. 4). Then in 995 CE, a decree was issued establishing an inquest system for homicides, unusual deaths, and serious injuries.
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Mathieu Joseph Bonaventure Orfila (1787–1853), often called the "Father of Toxicology," was the first great 19th-century exponent of forensic medicine. Orfila worked to make chemical analysis a routine part of forensic medicine, and made studies of asphyxiation, the decomposition of bodies, and exhumation.
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Used thumbprints on documents to identify workers in India
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Father of criminal investigation. Developed Anthropometry which uses body measurements to distinguish individuals
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Uses fingerprints to eliminate an innocent burglary suspect
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Published his first Sherlock Holmes story; considered the first CSI, featured in 4 novels and 56 short stories popularized scientific crime detection methods.
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Published finger prints. Conducted the first definitive study of fingerprints and their classification. Gave proof of their uniqueness
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Wrote the first paper describing the application of scientific principles to the field of criminal investigation. Publish criminal investigatin
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Discovered ABO blood groups later recieved Nobel Prize
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Incorporated Gross principles within workable crime lab;became the founder and director of the institute of criminalists at the university of Lyons, France
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Published questioned documents. Developed the fundamental principles of document examinations
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Developed a method for determining blood type from dried blood
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Established the first crime lab in the United States, located in Los Angeles
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Developed a comparison microscope; first used to compare bullets to see if fired from the same weapon
