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Introduction:
Fingerprints have been used as a means of identification for over 100 years and are
unique to every individual. Hence, fingerprint evidence plays a crucial role in criminal

PERSONAL investigations.
Fingerprints are made up of intricate system f ridges which creates an uneven surface
on the palms of the hand and soles of the feet. It’s the arrangement of the ridges and their

IDENTIFICATION certain unique properties which a fingerprint expert will use to make the identification.
The law enforcement agencies are indeed a vital part of the society who are tasked in
the enforcement of laws.
THE SCIENCE OF FINGERPRINT
Criminal Investigation is one of the cores of their functions as law enforcers in order
for them to solve a crime and to let justice prevail. Forensic science is indispensable in the
investigation process which is of great help to the investigators to cover other angles of the
crime.

INTRODUCTION
HISTORY OF FINGERPRINT

Fingerprints are made up of intricate system f ridges which
creates an uneven surface on the palms of the hand and
soles of the feet. It’s the arrangement of the ridges and their
certain unique properties which a fingerprint expert will use to
make the identification.
FINGERPRIN
The development of fingerprint science predates the
Christian era by many centuries. The formal study began as
early as 1685 but has finally gained official use in 1858 by

T
Sir William James Herschel, a British chief administrative
WHAT IS FORENSIC officer in Hoogly District of Bengal India. It was in 1882
when the first authentic record of official use of fingerprints
SCIENCE?
The application of scientific technique and
was noted in USA. In 1891, Juan Vucetich, an Argentinian
Police, used a system of fingerprint as criminal identification Fingerprint offers an infallible means of
based on Sir Francis Galton’s studies.
principles in order to provide evidence to legal or
related investigations and determination. personal Identification. That is the
WHY FINGERPRINT
WHAT IS PERSONAL IDENTIFICATION?
essential explanation for having
IDENTIFICATION? Fingerprints offer an infallible means of personal supplanted other methods of
identification. Other visible human characteristics
Personal identification is defined as
establishing the identity of an individual.
change-fingerprints do not. establishing the identities of criminals
reluctant to admit previous arrest.

Are there any

HISTORY OF ancient records
FINGERPRINT concerning the
use of Finger and
Palm Prints?

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NOVA SCOTIA CHINA

 First Country that uses fingerprint; but the usage was not aimed to identify the identity
 On the face of a cliff in NOVA SCOTIA, there has been found a prehistoric picture
of individuals, but rather it was used for their “Rituals”, and “ Trade and Commerce”.
writing of a hand with crudely marked ridge patterns.
 There is no scientific data that can support that Chinese has studied the use of

BABYLON fingerprint.
 In ancient China, thumb mark were found in clay seals
 In China, fingerprint is called HUA CHI
 In Babylonia, the first use of fingerprints for personal identification originated when
 Clay Seals of ancient Chinese origin bears thumbprints
Babylonian Magistrates ordered their officers in making arrests and property
 Emperor Tein Shi
confiscation to secure the defendants’ fingerprints.
 The first Chinese ruler who devised a seal carved from white jade in which on the
 Scholars refer to the impression of fingerprints on clay tablets recoding business
one side of it was the name of the owner, and on the other side the thumb mark of
transactions in ancient Babylon
the destitute

DR. NEHEMIAH GREW Govard Bidloo

He was known for his contribution in the

filed of Fingerprints, because of the ff:
He was known for his contribution in the
● He is the first individual who published
filed of Fingerprints, because of the ff:
a study that includes describing the
● He conducted the study titled
existence of ridges and pores in the
“ANATOMIA HUMANIS CORPORIS”,
hands and feet.
describing sweat pores and ridges in
● “PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTION”
1685.
- published in 1684

Dr. MARCELLO MALPIGHI J.C.A

“Grandfather of Dactyloscopy” Mayer
- An Italian anatomist, known as the Grandfather of Dactyloscopy
- In 1686, he published a study titled, “De Externo Tactus ● He published hid study in 1788, stating that the
Organo” – reveals that ridges found on the palm surface have arrangement of ridges of the skin would
diverse formation and designs. never be duplicated in two persons, only
- He is also instrumental in discovering the INNER and OUTER closer similarities among individual fingerprint
layer of the skin:
- Dermis – inner layer
- Epidermis- outer layer
- Trivia:
- A layer of the skin was named after him, “MAPLPIGHI LAYER”
which is approximately 1.8mm in thickness.

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Johannes Evangelist
FATHER OF
Purkinje
● a Czechoslovakian professor DACTYLOSCOPY
University of Breslau
of anatomy at the The beginning of
● published a thesis in Latin (Commentio de Examine
Physiogico Organi Visus Et systematis Cutansi –
Fingerprint as a
method of
A Commentary of the Physiological Examination
System: Dec. 22, 1823, Breslau, Germany)
● describing the ridges, giving them names and

Identification
established certain rules for classification
(nine groups).

HERMAN WELCKER Sir. WILLLIAM HERSCHEL

(1856) Father of Chiroscopy

● Published a book titled, “The Origin of Fingerprint”

● He took the prints of his own palms and after 41
years (1879) he printed the same palms to prove that
the prints do not change (Principle of Permanency)
except for some scratches due to old age.
in 1858
● He encourages the fingerprinting of the laborers to
avoid impersonation.
● He used fingerprint system in all jails in India
● The first European to practice fingerprint
identification

Sir. Henry Faulds Gilbert Thompson , 1882

● A doctor of medicine stationed in Tokyo, Japan in

1880, who published an article- “THE SKIN
FURROWS OF THE HANDS” on Oct. 28, 1880 ● The U.S. geological survey in New
He points out that chance prints or latent print left at
●
Mexico, used his owned thumb print
the crime scene would provide a positive
identification of offenders; on a document to prevent forgery.
● He recommended the use of a thin film of printers ● The first known use of fingerprint in
ink as a transfer medium and is generally used the United States.
today
● He also initiated the development and
enhancement of latent prints.

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Sir Francis Galton , 1888 Juan Vucetich , 1881

● British anthropologist that conducted

● An Argentinian police official, who began
observation on fingerprints as a means
the first fingerprint files based in Galton
of identification in the 1880’s.
pattern types.
● He devised a practical system of filling
● Developed his own system of
based on the ridge patterns.
classification in 1891 and adopted by
● Discover the three families of fingerprint
Argentina and other Spanish speaking
patterns (Arch, Loop, Whorl)
countries
● The first Scientist of Friction Skin
● he also claimed the first official criminal
Identification
identification by means of fingerprints
● Established the first Civil Bureau of
left at the scene of crime.
Personal Identification in London,
England.

Azizul Haque and Sir Edward Richard Henry,

Hem Chandra Bose, 1897 FATHER OF FINGERPRINT1900
● Two Indian Fingerprint experts credited
with the primary development of the
HENRY SYSTEM OF FINGERPRINT ● The successor of Sir William Herschel
CLASSIFICATION- which is used in all ● Developed his own system of fingerprint
English speaking countries primarily as classification in 1880
the manual filing system files that have ● Adopted by the British Association for
not been scanned and computerized. advancement of science in 1889
● His system of identification replaces the
Bertillionage system of identification.

OTHER
Samuel Clemens ( Mark
PERSONALITIES:
Twain)
further developed his theme. Eleven (11) years later, he causes
the publication of “Puddin Head Wilson”, a novel based on
Hintzo dramatic fingerprint identification demonstrated during a court

wrote on the ridge formation, but dealt with the subject

trial. His story pointed out the infallibility of fingerprint
identification. Important Dates in
from the viewpoint of anatomy rather than identification.
Sir Henry Forest the
Kollman chief Medical examiner of New York Civil Service Field of Fingerprints
an anthropologist who wrote his book on ridges and Commission and an American preacher in fingerprint
pores. He did not associate fingerprints with identification. science in the US for the New York
Rajyadhar
Mary K. Holland
Konai
the first person Herschel printed
the first American instructress in Dactyloscopy
Isiah West Taber
A photographer in San Francisco advocated the use of
the system for the registration of the immigrant Chinese.

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1901 Marked the official introduction of fingerprinting for Criminal identification

of England and Wales 1904 The City of St. Louis Missouri, became the first city to adopt fingerprint.
The police department officials adopted the system on October 29, 1904.

1902 The New York Civil Service Commission, on Dec. 19, 1902 required all
civil service applicants to be fingerprinted 1905 Fingerpritning was officially adopted by the U.S. Army. It was known as
the first military use of fingerprint.

1903 New York State Prison in Albany claims the first practical, systematic
use of fingerprints in the US to identify criminals. 1911 The State of Illinois, made the first criminal conviction based solely upon fingerprint
evidence. It was known as the first judicial ruling on such evidence, (People vs
Jennings, 252 Illinois 543-96 NE 1007, 43 LRA (NS) 1206 for 1991).

1903 Fingerprints identification was adopted in the following penitentiaries:

Singing Sing, Napanoch, Auborn and Clinton prisons

Historical Lt. Asa N. Darby Historical

Development in the
Under the management of Lt. Asa N. Darby during Agustin Patricio, 1927
the American occupation in the Philippines, a modern
and complete fingerprint file has been established for
Development in the Top the examination in Fingerprint
Philippines the Philippine commonwealth.
. Philippines Plaridel Education
1937 Institution
Mr. Jones The first Filipino fingerprint technician employed Generoso Reyes Now known as the Philippine College of Criminology-
by the Phil. Constabulary was Mr. Generoso Reyes. the first government recognized school to teach the
the first to teach fingerprints in the Philippines Capt. Thomas Dugan of New York City Police the first Filipino Fingerprint technician science of Fingerprint and other Police Science;
in the Phil. Constabulary. Department and Mr. Flaviano C. Gurrero of the employed by the Phil. Constabulary founded by Felix Angelo Baustista
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) gave the first
examinations in fingerprints.
1924
1918-The Bureau of Prisons Isabel Bernales
records show that carpetas (commitment 1933 The first Filipina Fingerprint technician The first National Bureau of Identification was
and conviction records) already bear created by the act of Congress. The bureau was
The first conviction based on fingerprints was established with the U.S. DOJ
fingerprints.
handed by the Supreme Court of the Phil. in the
case People vs. Medina and this case is
considered the leading judicial decision in the
Philippine jurisprudence concerning fingerprinting
(December 23).

Student Assessment?
1. Who is fingerprint considered as an infallible means of identification?
2. In ancient times, they were known as the first to use fingerprints for personal identification in making arrest and property
confiscation?
3. In China, fingerprint is called what?
4. Philosophical Transaction was published by who?
5. Who was known as the Father of Dactyloscopy?
6. Who stated that the arrangement of ridges of the skin would never be duplicated?
7. Who was known as the Father of Dactyloscopy?
8. Who took his own palm prints for 41 years to prove that fingerprints do not change?
9. Who encourages fingerprinting of the laborers to avoid impersonation which makes him as the first European to practice
fingerprint identification?
10. Who suggested that latent fingerprints can be used for identification of criminals?
11. Who used his owned thumb prints on documents to prevent forgery which marks the first use of fingerprint in U.S.A?
12. Who discovered the three families of fingerprint patterns and devised the first practical system of filling based on ridged
patterns?
13. Who claimed the first official criminal identification by means of fingerprint left on the crime scene?
14. Who was the successor of Sir William Herschel who developed his won system of fingerprint classification which later replaces
the Bertillionage system of Identification?
15. Who was known as first American Instructress in Dactyloscopy?
16. Who is first to teach fingerprints in the Philippines?
17. The year when the Bureau of Prison shows records of the use of fingerprint in Carpetas?
18. Who was the first Filipino fingerprint technician who was employed by the Phil. Constabulary?
19. What was considered as the first conviction based on the fingerprint by the Supreme Court of the Phil?
20. Who was the first Filipina fingerprint technician?