Origin Fingerprints

OVERVIEW
The development of fingerprint science predates the Christian era by
many centuries. Pre-historic Indian picture writing of hand with crudely
marked ridge patterns, fingerprints impression on clay tablets recording
business transaction in ancient Babylon, and clay seals of ancient
Chinese origin bearing thumbprints, were found as evidence of early use
of fingerprint as identification of persons impressing the prints.

To Do List
In order to successfully complete WEEK
7, please do the following in sequential
manner

1. READ: Module Resource in Origin Fingerprints

2. SUBMIT: the given module Activity at the end of this
module.

HISTORY OF FINGERPRINT

Fingerprint have been considered as one of the most infallible means of

identification. To date, it has been utilized to examine both public and
private documents from the simple clearance to the more important
documents. Anyone who seeking to gain familiarity with the science if
fingerprints as well as the more seasoned practitioners in this field, it is a
must that they should gain an extensive familiarity of its historical
development. Every scientific principle basically lays its evidentiary value
and credibility to its discovery and the facts behind its development and
distinction. Think of a scenario inside a trial court, a situation in which the
defense lawyer, looking for a way to discard the credibility of the expert
witness, they sometimes resort to the asking of question which are relative
to the historical basis and basic principle of the scientific evidence
presented.

The development of fingerprint science predates the Christian era by

many centuries. Prehistoric Indian picture writing of hand with crudely
marked ridge patterns, fingerprints impression on clay tablets recording
business transaction in ancient Babylon, and clay seals of ancient
Chinese origin bearing thumbprints, were found as evidence of early use
of fingerprint as identification of persons impressing the prints.

The formal study begin as early as 1686 but has finally gained official use
in 1858 by William james Herschel, a british chief administrative officer in
hoodly district of Bengal, india. Herschel used fingerprints in india to
prevent fraudulent collection of army pay accounts and for identity on the
other documents.

In 1880 two major developments were achieved that ushered to a more

holistic acceptance of fingerprint use. Dr henry faulds, an English doctor
based in japan, wrote to publication nature on the practical use of
fingerprints for identification of criminals. His argument was supported by
his studies and successful experiments on permanency of one’s
fingerprint. After fauld’s breakthrough, sir francis galton, a noted british
anthropologist and scientist Charles darwin’s cousin, devised the first
scientific method of classifying fingerprint patterns.

It was in 1882 when the first authentic record of official use of fingerprints
was noted in the USA.
 In 1891, juan vucetich, an Argentinian police, used system of fingerprint

as criminal identification based on sir francis galton’s study.

As early as the start of the 20 th century, fingerprint use in criminal

investigation has gained widespread acceptance across the USA and was
adopted in the use by different branches of the united state armed forces.
The use of fingerprint development to its most intricate system.

Today, the US federal bureau f investigation’s identification file are rapidly

approaching 200 million sets of fingerprints the largest collection in the
world.

Fingerprints offer an infallible means of personal identification. The

science of fingerprint identification stands out among all other forensic
sciences for many reasons, including the following;

 Has served all governments worldwide in providing accurate identification

of criminals. No two fingerprints have ever been found alike many billions
of human and automated computer comparison. Fingerprints are the very
basis for criminal history foundation at every police agency.
 Established the first forensic professional organization, the international
association for identification (IAI) in 1915.
 Established the first professional certification program for forensic
scientist, the IAI’s certified latent print examiner program (in 1977), issuing
certification to those meeting stringent criteria and revoking certification for
serious errors such erroneous identification.
 Remains the most commonly used forensic evidence worldwide- in most
jurisdiction fingerprint examination cases match or outnumber all other
forensic examination casework combined.
  Continues to expand as the premier method of identifying persons, with
tens of thousands of person added to fingerprint repositories daily in
America alone-far outphasing similar database in growth.

 Outperforms DNA and all other human identification systems identify more
murderers, rapists, and other serious offenders (fingerprints solve ten
times more unknown suspect cases than DNA in most jurisdictions).

To help the students, professors, technicians and other interested

persons to become familiarized with the historical development of the
science of fingerprints, the author has listed some of the most important
events and personality that have
played crucial role in its development.

A. ORIGIN OF FINGERPRINTS
It has been said that the Chinese were the first
to use fingerprints. They refer to fingerprints as “Hua Chi”. They used fingerprints is
ritualistic symbol in the early part of their history. Eventually, they managed to use them
in the signing of contract on the part of illiterate. The thumb mark of the destitute is
place on the slip of bamboo were the contract was written. In addition, the fingerprints of
infants were also taken at for possible identification, thus ensuring that every mother is
familiar with the fingerprint of her newborn.

The Chinese were well acquainted with essential characteristic of fingerprint. They
called the arches and whorls as “LO” (snail); while they
refer to the loop as “KI” (sieve or winnowing basket).
They believed that loops presage good luck.

Emperor Te’inShi , (246-210 BC) was the first Chinese

ruler who devised a seal curve from white jade. It had the
name owner on one side, and on the other side was the
impression of the thumb. They used the said seal in sealing
documents as a sign of authenticity. Thought the Chinese were well familiar with types
of fingerprint patterns, they di not make any system to develop a classification system.

B. SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERY AND

DEVELOPMENT OF FINGERPRINT
1. Marcelo Malpighi (1928-1628) – A professor of anatomy in
the university of bologna, Italy who published a book entitled
“De Externo Tactus Organo” depicting the construction of
the layers of the human skin, particularl y the friction skin
namely the epidermis and the dermis.

He originated the term “Loops and Spiral” and because of

his contribution one of the thin Layer of the friction skin
named
after him, the “Malpighian layer”.

He made no mention of their value as a tool for individual identification. A

layer of skin was named after him; MALPHIGI layer, which is
approximately 1.8mm thick.

He described the ridges found on the palmar surface of the hand which
course in diverse and design and the pores which serv ed as the mouth of
the sweat glands

He was noted for discovery of the inner and outer structure of the skin:

DERMIS- INNER LAYER EPIDERMIS-OUTER LAYER

Grand Father of Dactyloscopy

2. J.C Mayer (1788) – He stated in his book (Anatomiche

Kuphertafeln Nebstdazu Gehorigen) that “Although the
arrangement of the skin ridges in never, duplicated in
 two person, nevertheless, the similarities are closer among the some
individuals.”

A German doctor and anatomist who published a book which was an atlas
of anatomical illustrations of fingerprint. His marks contain a statement which
clearly pronounced one of the fundamental principles of fingerprint science
although the arrangement of the skin, ridges is never duplicated in to person;
nevertheless, the similarities are closer among some individuals.
His books included detailed drawings of patterns and friction skin. He wrote:

ALTHOUGHT THE ARRANGEMENT OF SKIN RIDGES IS NEVER

DUPLICATED IN TWO
PERSONS, NEVERTHELESS THE
SIMILARITIES ARE CLOSER AMONG SOME INDIVIDUALS. IN
OTHERS THE
DIFFERENCES ARE MARKED,

YET IN SPITE OF THEIR PECULIARITIES OF

ARRANGEMENT, ALL HAVE A
CERTAIN

LIKENESS.

He was the first state that the prints of two

different persons are never alike.

3. Professor Johnnes Evangelish Purkenje (1823) – A professor in the university

of Breslau, Germany, who discovered in his s tudy of physiology, that the skin
in the inner surface if the hand bore patterns, which he later named and set
rules governing their classification and even identified nine types of patterns,
but he did not associate it with identification.
 He published his book COMMENTARY OF THE
PSHYSIOLOGICAL EXAMINATION OF ORGANS OF
VISION AND THE CUTANEOUS SYSTEM describing the
ridges, giving their names and establishing certain rules of
classification (nine groups) and discovered in his study of
physiology that the skin on the inner surface of the hands
bore patterns

FATHER OF DACTYLOSCOPY

4. Herman Welcker (1856) – He took the prints of his

own palms and after forty-one years (1879) he
printed the same palms to prove that prints do not
change, except for some scratches due to old age.

C. FINGERPRINT AS A METHOD OF IDENTIFICATION

1. Sir William J. Herschel (1858) – Acting as an official

representative of the English government in Bengal,
Indi a , he utilized fingerprints as a substitute for
signature to avoid impersonation among the natives.
Rajyad har Konai was the first person whose palm
was printed by Herschel. Despite his success,
however, his request for the official adoption of this
system was ignored by the government.
Nevertheless, credit should be given to him for the establishment of the
present fingerprints system of identification for he gave way for the first
 actual tryout in establishing individuality using
fingerprint.

By conducting his own experiments with colleagues and friends

taking their fingerprints over periods of time and with careful
notation Herschel established the principle of persistence and
immutability while his experience with fingerprinting was
admittedly limited sir Herschel private conviction that all
fingerprints were unique to the individual as well as permanent
throughout that individual’s life inspired him to expand their use.

Using his various post as a magistrate including the control of

prison, he introduces the use of fingerprints to prevent
impersonation, and suggested that this practiced should be more
universally used.

FATHER OF CHIROSCOPY

2. Dr. Henry Faulds (1877) – A surgeon at the Tsukiji

Hospital in Tokyo, Japan. He wrote in the English
Journal “Nature Dealing with Latent Prints Found at the Scene of the
Crime”. He claimed that the impression would provide positive
identification of offenders wh en apprehended. He also wrote “A
Manual of Practical

Dactylography” based on the skin ridges of the fingers and toes.

he studies of skin furrows after noticing fingers marks on specimens of prehistoric

pottery.

A learned and industrious man, Dr. Faulds not only recognized the importance of
fingerprints as a means of identification, but devise a method of classification as
well.
In 1880 he advocated the use of fingerprint in the detection of
crimes. His article ON THE SKIN- furrows of the hand points out
his observation that chance prints left at the scene of the crime
would provide for positive identification of offenders when
apprehended. He discussed fingerprints as a means of personal
identification, and the use of printer’s ink as a method for obtaining
such fingerprints.

He is also credited with the first fingerprint identification of a greasy

fingerprint left on an alcohol bottle.

3. Sir Francis Galton (1892-1911) – He is credited for being the first

scientist of friction skin identification who established the first Civil
Bureau of Personal Identification in London, England; and discovered
the three families of fingerprint patterns – Arches, Loops and Whorls
(A-L-W- Methods). Later, he devised a system of classification that was
officially adopted on February 12, 1894. He also stated that the
possibility for two prints to be the same is 1:64,000,000,000 .

He devised a practical system a practical system of filling based on the

ridge patterns

In 1892, he published his books FINGERPRINTS establishing the

individuality and permanence of fingerprints. It included the first
classification system for fingerprints.

Galton’s primary interest in fingerprints was as an aid in determining

heredity and racial background.
 While he soon discovered that fingerprints offered no firm clues to an
individual’s intelligence or genetic history, he was able to scientifically
prove what Herschel and Faulds already suspected:

THAT FINGERPRINTS DO NOT CHANGE OVER THE COURSE OF AN

INDIVIDUAL’S LIFETIME, AND THAT NO TWO

FINGERPRINTS ARE EXACTLY THE SAME.

According to his calculations, the odds of two individual

fingerprints being the same 1 in 64 billion. Galton identified
the characteristics by which fingerprints can identified.
These same characteristic (minutiae) are basically still use
today, and are often referred to as Galton’s details.

4. Sir Edward Richard Henry (1859-1931). Inspired by various

predecessors in the study of fingerprints, he developed his own system
of classification while working in the Scotland yard. His system of
classification was established with the help of two Hindu police officers,
namely, Khan Bahadur Azizu Haque and Rai Hem Chandra Bose and
it was widely accepted by almost all English speaking country making
him known as the “Father of Fingerprint” His system of identification
finally replaced the Bertillionage system of identification in France
( Anthropometry by Alphonse

Bertillion).

In January 1896, Henry issued an order to the Bengali Police that criminal record
forms should not only display a prisoners anthropometric measurements but also
the prisoners/s rolled fingerprint impression.
 With assistance of Azizull Haque and Hem Chandra Bose,
Edward Henry devised his classification system between July
1896 and February 1897. The Henry Fingerprint system enabled
fingerprints to be easily filed, searched and traced against
thousands of others. The simple system found worldwide
acceptance within a few years.

In July 1, 1901, the first fingerprint Bureau in the UK was established at

Scotland Yard. His system of identification finally replaces the Bertillionage
system of identification in France (Anthropometry by Alphonse Bertillion).

5. Juan Vucetich (1891). Developed his own system of classifying prints

that was officially adopted in Argentina and was used in most Spanish-
speaking countries.

In 1982. Inspector Eduardo Alvarez, taking direction from

Vucetich took digital impressions from a crime scene. This led
Vucetich in making the first criminal fingerprint identification. He was
able to identify a woman by the name Rojas, who had murdered her
two sons and cut her own throat in an attempt to place blame on
another. Her bloody print was left of a door post proving her identity.
She confessed to the murders,

D. FINGERPRINT IN AMERICA
 1. Gilbert Thomson – He was a geologist in New Mexico
who adopted the first individual use of fingerprint on
August 8, 1882 as a protection to prevent tampering with
the pau order.

Used his own thumb print on a document to prevent forgery. This is

the first known use of fingerprints in the United State.

2. Isaiah West Tabor - a photographer in San

Francisco who
Advocated the use of the system for the
registration of the immigrant Chinese.

3. Dr. Edmond Locard

FATHER OF POROSCOPY

Professor at the university of Lyons in Frans, Locard established the

institution of criminalistics in 1910.

He made a remarkabl e statement on contact trace evidence;

WHEN TWO OBJECTS
COME INTO CONTACT THERE IS AN EXCHANGE OF
MATERIAL FROM EACH TO THE OTHER.

Locard Studies and investigated identification using the position

and variation of pores as unique ridge characteristic. He presented
evidence of identification is one case court using Poroscopy, even
 though the impression already contained may characteristics in
agreement.

4. Samuel Langhorne Clemens – a Englishman who

informally introduced
Dactyloscopy in the United State in Through books “Life in the

Mississippi” and “Pupp n Head Wilson”.

5. Francis Galton (1892) – Published “Fingerprints”, the first

comprehensive book on the nature of fingerprints and their use
in solving crime.

6. Dr. Henry p de Forest – utilized the first Municipal Civil use of

fingerprint for Criminal Registration on December 1902 (Mun. Civil
Service Comm., New York)
7. Capt. James L. Parke – advocated the first date and penal use
of fingerprint adopted in SingSing prison on June 5, 1903, this
was later used at the Auburn Napanoch and Clinton
Penitentiaries.

8. Sgt. John Kenneth Ferrier – He was the first fingerprint instructor at the
St. Louis department in Missouri.

9. Maj. R. McCloughry – Warden of the Federal Penitentiary of Leaven

Worth. He established the first official used of fingerprint in the national
government.

10. Mary K. Holand – First American instructress in dactyloscopy.

11. FBI – The U.S Congress established the identification unit at the FBI in
1924.

12. Institute of Applied Science - The first private school to install

laboratories for instruction purposes in dactyloscopy.
 13. People vs. Jenning, Dec. 21, 1911 – this is the pioneering case in
United State wherein the first conviction based on fingerprint was
recognized by the judicial authorities (14points of identity).

E. FINGERPRINT IN THE PHILIPPINES

1. Mr. Jones – he was the first to teach fingerprint in the Philippine Constabulary
in the year 1900.

2. Bureau of Prison - records shows that in 19118, CARPETAS (Commitment

and Conviction Records) already used in fingerprint.

3. Lt. Asa and N. Darby – established a modern and complete fingerprint files for
the Philippine Commonwealth during the re-occupation of the Philippines by
the American Forces.

4. Generoso Reyes – First Filipino Fingerprint technician employed by the Phil.

Constabulary.

5. Isabela Bernales – The first Filipina fingerprint Technician

6. Cpt. Thomas Dugan of the New York Police Department and Flaviano
Guerrero of FBI Washington were the first to administer an examination of
fingerprint in 1927 and Agustin Patricio of the Philippines topped the said
examination.

7. People of the Philippines Vs. Medina- First conviction based on fingerprint

and leading judicial decision in the phil. Jurisprudence (10 points of Identity).
 8. Plaridel Education Institution – Now known as the Philippine College of
Criminology, the first government- recognized school to teach the science of
fingerprint and other Police Science in the Philippines.

F. OTHER METHODS OF IDENTIFICATION

1. Identification of Living Person:

Characteristic that may easily be changed:

a. Growth of the hair, beard and mustache;

b. Clothing;
c. Frequent place visit;
d. Garde or profession;
e. Body Ornamentation such as earring, necklace, rings, bracelets, watch
and others.

Characteristic that may not easily be changed.

a. Mental memory
b. Speech

c. Gait manner of walking (ataxic, cerebellar, cow’s, paretic, spastic,

wadding, and frog’s gait).

d. Mannerism
e. Hands and feet
f. Complexion
g. Face
h. Eyes
i. Body built
j. Left or right handedness
k. Degree of nutrition

2. Identification applicable to both living and dead persons.

Occupational Mark

Race

Stature

Teeth (Forensic Odontology – Identification through dental record)

Tattoo Marks

Scar Marks

Birth Marks

Deformities

Moles

Injuries leaving a permanent result

Tribal Marks

Sexual Organs (Pressure of Testes and Ovaries)

Blood Grouping (A-B-AB-O System) and Typing (M-N-MN)

Handwriting and signatures