Our Contemporaries
| Published date | 01 October 1935 |
| Date | 01 October 1935 |
| DOI | 10.1177/0032258X3500800421 |
| Subject Matter | Article |
OUR
CONTEMPORARIES
The Analyst, vol. 60, No. 710, contains (p. 313) an article by M. N. Ghose
and S. N. Bhattacharjee on the determination of physiological activity of
hemp resin by a polarimetric method, which is of importance since most
of the previous works on this drug have neglected the activity of the products
which cause the intoxication. An abstract is given on p. 338 of the latest
method devised by W. Hees (Stuttgart) for the use of the migration of the
sulphates to determine the age of ink writing.
Vol. 60, No. 711, contains the fifth part of the work of H. E. Cox and
J. U. Lewin (p. 350) on the chemical examination of furs in relation to
dermatitis, which might be of value in criminal cases where hairs from
dyed furs are involved.
Vol. 60, No. 712, contains (p, 454) an interesting article by
C. Ainsworth Mitchell on the use of infra-red rays in the examination of
inks and pigments.
In
the Revue iniemationale de Criminalistique, vol. vii, No.
I,
1935,
Dr.
Locard (Lyon) gives a brief article on
the
usual methods adopted to
disguise ordinary handwriting, which he classifies under thirteen headings,
but
he mentions that the list is incomplete. He points out that the most
dangerous disguises, i.e., the most difficult to detect are those of illiterates,
because their normal writing is the most difficult to identify.
The
chief
points to look out for are the brief moments when a mistake has been made
by the writer and he forgets the disguise.
Dr.
Locard also lays stress on
the possibilities of identifying the writer from extraneous traces, such as
latent finger-prints on the paper, imprints of lips covered with lip-stick,
and possibly hairs in the gum of the envelope.
In
Police" 13-13 ", Chicago, May, 1935, there is an illustrated descrip-
tion of the training of the staff for the United States Bureau of Investigation,
which is the federal organization for forensic science and crime investigation
under the federal laws throughout the States. C. K. Yeaton (p. 19) describes
the"
lifting" of latent finger-prints by using fixed unexposed (i.e., transparent)
photo films damped sufficiently to allow the powder to adhere to the gelatine
surface of the film.
The Journal
of
Criminal
Law
and Criminology, vol. xxvi, No.
I,
May, 1935,
on p. 115, refers to a case of murder in which the conviction in the lower
court was reversed in appeal in Alabama. A doctor gave evidence that
" the depth and width of the wound corresponded to the depth and
width"
or a knife produced,
but
added,
"there
was something on it that looked a
little red. I couldn't say that it was blood, I don't know whether it was rust
or blood; I did the best I could to see what it was,
but
Icouldn't tell."
Almost unbelievable at the present time I
SII
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