360 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1954 



Such an influence is obvious in a few special cases. The progress of 

 toxicology has certainly played a great part in reducing the number of 

 poison cases. Although we have no exact statistics going back several 

 centuries, it is probable that poisoning was once much more common 

 than it is at present. In our time, it rarely occurs except among the 

 less civilized sections of the population, or in country districts. The 

 merest suspicion of poisoning will cause it to be brought to light. 



On the other hand, such social repercussions are less certain where 

 other types of crime are concerned. The seriousness of the penalties 

 has no real influence on the development of criminal tendencies; these 

 must be regarded as the outcome of a man's development, and the im- 

 portant thing is to prevent the type of development which makes a 

 man a criminal. 



Scientific methods of controlling crime have an effect on social life 

 in another respect — the prevention of unlawful acts. Criminal in- 

 vestigation laboratories are often asked to place their methods and 

 experience at the service of organizations seeking to protect them- 

 selves against the risks of fraud. They are consulted in this way 

 in the matter of identity cards, passports, banlmotes, travelers' checks, 

 and bonds. The better safeguarding of these documents makes their 

 falsification more difficult and thus directly reduces incentive to crime. 

 This is a new feature of the work of these laboratories, which will 

 become steadily more important as scientific knowledge advances. 



We have sought, in this paper, to show how scientific criminal in- 

 vestigation is revolutionizing the system of proof, v/hich is the basis 

 of all social law. One day, perhaps, scientific evidence of facts will 

 almost entirely take the place of the unreliable evidence of men, so 

 that justice will better fulfill its social function. That day, however, 

 is still far off — for man's development, like that of things, is bound 

 to be slow and gradual. 



BIBLIOGRAPHY 



BtTRRARD, Sib G. 



1951. The identification of firearms and forensic ballistics. London. 

 Hatcheb, J. S. 



1935. Textbooks of firearms investigation, identification, and evidence. Ma- 

 rines, Small Arms Techn. Publ. Co., Onslow County, N. 0. 

 KiBK, P. L. 



1953. Crime investigation — physical evidence and the police laboratory. 

 New York and London. 

 Lerich, R. 



1949. La police scientiflque. Paris. 



LOCARD, E. 



1923. Manuel de la technique policifere (enquMe criminelle), Paris. 

 1934. La police et les mSthodes scientifiques. Ed. Rieder. Paris. 



