| Title: | More Chemistry and Crime: From Marsh Arsenic Test to DNA Profile |
| Author(s): | Samuel M. Gerber and Richard Saferstein, Eds. |
| Publisher: |
American Chemical Society, Wash., D.C., 1997 1155 Sixteenth Street, N. W. Washington DC 20036 Tel: (800) 227-9919, (202) 776-8100 (outside U.S.) Fax: (202) 872-6067 http://pubs.acs.org/books |
| Copyright: | © 1997 |
| ISBN: |
ISBN-13: 978-0-8412-3406-2 ISBN-10: 0-8412-3406-X |
| Library of Congress: |
Preface
Since the publication of Chemistry and Crime in 1983, a number of significant advances have occurred in the practice of forensic science to warrant the publication of a second volume in this series. A spate of criminal acts and high-profile trials also have served to exalt the role that forensic science plays in criminal investigation. More Chemistry and Crime explains current and emerging forensic science technologies, yet also examines their underpinnings by reviewing the historical development of forensic science philosophies and practices. A wide spectrum of techniques are addressed in this fashion, ranging from the microscope to DNA.
The editors are particularly fortunate to have within the text a chapter authored by the late Ralph Turner, one of the recognized founders of criminalistics. His death in 1994 terminated an illustrious career in forensic science spanning five decades.
Forensic science subjects cut a wide swath, and the topics contained within this book reflect their number and diversity. Included are chapters dealing with arson analysis, forensic serology, DNA analysis, and forensic toxicology. A thorough exploration of past practices of forensic microscopy illustrates how history can serve as a guidepost for current and future applications of this discipline. Siegel’s historical treatment of the role of the expert witness illustrates the unique position that the scientist plays in offering testimony in the courtroom. Whether the current adversarial system is an appropriate forum for eliciting complex technical information from scientists for evaluation by lay jurors remains an area of intense debate.
Finally, this volume delves into the ever-greater role that forensic science plays in fictional portrayals of criminal investigations. The public has an insatiable appetite for seeing, hearing, and reading about the role of science and technology in crime solving. We hope that, after completing this book, the reader will conclude that fact is not far removed from fiction.
Samuel M. Gerber/Richard Saferstein