Forensic Science: An Encyclopedia of History, Methods and Techniques

“This book is the story of forensic science. The book provides a historical and technical frame for the interested lay reader … ”. So begins the 60‐plus‐page Introduction. This begins by exploring the subject, admits that it is not easy to define, and goes on to examine the influence of Sherlock Holmes and the effect of programmes like CSI on public perception and understanding (or should that be misunderstanding) of forensic science.

The Introduction then discusses the history of forensic science, starting with early works on identifying causes of death. Forensic science was almost entirely pathology until the industrial revolution...