Keith 0. Berry and W. G. Nigh University of Puget Sound Tocoma, Washington 98416
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Forensic Science A course for the January interim
Many colleges and universities have recently changed their academic calendar to a plan commonly called the "4-1-4." This plan utilizes a pattern of courses lasting four months, one month, and four months. The one month term, or interim, allows a more "in-depth" study into some particular area of interest to a student than courses during the normal semester. At our college the interim is most commonly justified on the basis that students are ahle to make an intensive study of some topic of interest to them, particularly if those interests are in an interdisciplinary area, or in an area outside the student's major study area. This philosophy means that it is incumbent on the department to provide courses which will be original, perhaps experimental, and of interest to a wide cross-section of the university student body. Many of the students on our campus are interested in the urohlems of our urban environment. Manv have majors such as public administration, business, political science. or other social or behavioral science. To satisfv the course requirements and because of our interest in firensic science, we proposed a course titled "Forensic Science and Criminalistics." Forty-one students completed the course, six of them having a major in some discipline of the physical sciences. We did not limit the enrollment; choosing instead to organize the course so that all could be accommodated. The course had several objectives. First, to help students understand the function of a scientist: what he does, how he does it, and what the consequences of his actions are. We sought to show how a scientist pursues a problem to its logical conclusion, especially in the context of a police science laboratory. Thus we became involved with the methodology of science, although it was never deliberately stated as a goal. A third objective was to help students understand the importance of good technique, careful observation, critical evaluation of data, and the importance of probability, statistical analysis, and experimental error. For example, an inexperienced witness might state, "That level of alcohol in the blood would certainly be sufficient to kill a man," whereas the experienced witness would be more likely to say, "The probability is that the hlood alcohol level was sufficient to kill a man of his size and weight." We attempted to provide some understanding of the capabilities and limitations of instruments and instrumental techniques. While not teaching theory or instrumental operation for all instruments, we felt students should he aware of the most useful methods available to the criminalist. Case histories were presented in which the various instrumental methods were discussed. A fifth objective was to provide some understanding of the commonly used forensic science techniques. The following were covered during lecture, demonstration, or lahoratory presentations: fingerprinting, crime scene photography, polygraph tests, voice prints, handwriting comparisons, document analysis, chemical microscopy, hlood alcohol tests, and firearms identification (ballistics). The course had a textbook ( I ) from which reading assignments were made on a regular basis. There are other 208 / Journal of Chemical Education
books (2, 3) available for the same purpose. A short hihliography is included at the end of the paper to indicate some typical hooks. It is not complete, and no references are given to the various journals which publish articles of interest to forensic scientists. The course was in session for twenty days. A normal day consisted of approximately three hours of lecture and demonstrations, separated into two morning sessions. Frequently we had guest speakers as part of this time. Afternoons were devoted to laboratory sessions, special projects, and field trips. Since neither of the authors had any formal training in the area of crime investieation a number of euest speakers were recruited to give thk students the necessary working oersnective. A orofessional criminolonist from the Seattle, waskngton poiice department speni an entire day with the class, much of that time in discussion with individuals and small groups. We also invited a member of the bar, a psychologist, a pathologist, and an art student. The art student directed his attention to the detection of art forgeries. Laboratory exercises included a variety of experiences. We began with some simple chemical reactions, such as the preparation of aspirin and methyl salicylate, and a study of simple oxidation-reduction reactions. The latter topic led to a discussion of arson and incendiary devices. Several periods of the laboratory were used in chemical identification tests such as by microscopy, chemical separations by chromatography (inks, drugs, and gasoline mixtures), and color tests for blood and other body fluids. We also did some handwriting comparisons. In addition to the formal lectures and demonstrations presented by faculty and guest lecturers, groups of students presented oral reports to the class on the results of their research or investigative projects. Every student belonged to a group; each group chose a project, investigated that subject as much as possible, wrote a paper, and presented the report. Typical of those reports was a presentation on firearms identification. That consisted of the construction of a fiber-filled box capable of stopping a rifle shot. Bullets from an air gun were fired into the box during the presentation, removed, and markings compared with bullets fired on a shooting range. They also discussed the estimation of distances based on the sizes of holes left as bullets penetrated, the use of powder burns and powder stains for identification and other related material. A second successful project was the construction of a voice-print instrument. Using a small cassette tape deck, a storage or memory oscillo&ope with attached Polaroid camera, and an inexpensive microphone, three girls were ahle to show patterns differed between sounds and hetween people uttering the same sound. Their device was limited to single sounds, but other members of the class were able to identify unknown persons from the photographic tracings. They were also able to demonstrate that attempts a t disguising one's voice (by placing a fabric over the microphone pickup, for instance) would he unsuccessful with respect to identification with a voice-print instrument. The most useful group, i t turned out, was the group
studying photographic techniques. One of the things they were able to do was to provide a photographic record of the entire class, its projects, demonstrations, and laboratory experiences. Other groups completed projects on plaster castings and other physical impressions, art forgeries, fabric and thread identification, chemical color tests for various harbiturates, use of the polygraph, and comparison of the type characteristics of various typewriters. There are a wide variety of experiences available to students in the allied areas of science, such as this course in forensic science. It is difficult to evaluate courses of this type. Since we required no examinations, about the only two criteria for evaluation were student interest and the quality of the papers and class presentations. Based on these criteria, and observations of the projects in progress, we feel there is sufficient interest to offer the course again. This has become more apparent in the intervening time, since several persons have inquired about the course offering.
Literature Cited (11 Sodarman. H., and O'Connsli, J. J.. "Modern Criminal Invo4tigation." 5th ed.. Funk& Wepnalb, NewYork. 1962. (2) Svenssohn, A,, and Wendoll, 0.. "Techniques d Crime Scene Investigation," 2nd ed.. Elsevier. New Yark. 1965. (31 Osfsrbur$. J. W., "The Crime Laboratory," Indiana University Prss, Bloomingfon. Indians. 1968.
General References Kirk. P.L., "Crime InvoIfigafian."Intemebner NeuYork, 1963. Nickoils, L. C., "The Scicntlfle Investigation of Crime: Butteruorth, Landan, England, 1965. TW"~~ R.. F.. " F O ~ ~ S %ience ~ C and ~ ~ T ~ C ~ D ~ bG S T, " ~ O ~~ springfieid. ~ J . ~ mi- ~ nois. 1949. Btidge, B. C.. "Practical Fingerprinting: 2nd ed., Funk and Wapnalls, Near York. 1961.
O ' H C. ~ E., and Osterbuw, J. W., "An Introduction to Criminslbticl." The MsemilianCo.. New York. l9B.
Bunard. G.. "The Identiiiealion of Firearms and Forensic Ballistics," Barns, New
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Davis. J. E., "An Inlmduction to Tool Msrh,Firearms and the Striagraph," Thomas, Springfield. Illioob. 1958. Feigl, F., "Qualiistivo Analpia by Spot Tests. Inorganic and Organic Applieatioos." Nordomann, New York. 1937. Feigl, F.. "Spot Teats in Organic Analysis." 7thed.. Elsevier. New Yark. 1966. Feigl, F., "Chamisiry of Specific. Selective and Sensitive RLacfionn." Academic Preu. New York. 1949.
V o l u m e 50, N u m b e r 3. March
1973
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