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Period: to
History of Forensic Science
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Treatise
Francois Demelle publishes the first treatise on systematic document examination -
Medico-Legal Questions
Forensic medicine is just now appearing in literary works such as Paolo Zacchia's Questions Medico Legales. There were early treatises that discussed medical questions commonly treated in courts. -For Example:
-How could you determine whether or not an infant was stillborn or if it was the victim of feticide?
-Is this woman a virgin?
-Whether a body found in water was someone who had drowned or the victim of a disguised homicide? -
Birth!
Birth of Italian, Marcello Malpighi, credited with noticing patterns in the skin of fingers. -
Calculating Machine
Blaise Pascal, at age 18, builds the first numerical calcuating machine. -
Blowflies
Analysis of blowfly infestation of rotting meat allows Francesco Redi to refute the hypothesis of "spontaneous generation" to maggots. -
High-Powered Microscope
The First high-powered microscpe is constructed by Anton Van Leeuwenhoek of Holland. -
Malpighi
Marcello Malpighi, a professor of anatomy at the University of Bologna noted fingerprint characteristics. However, he made no mention of their values as a tool for individual identification.
