ABSTRACT
Forensic science is the science behind expert evidence, and its strict definition is simply that science that is used in the law courts. Hans Gross (1847-1915), professor of criminology at the University of Prague, is generally recognized as one of its pioneers, and his classic publication Handbuch fur Untersuchungsrichter first appeared in 1893. The English translation appeared in 1906, entitled Criminal Investigation, and in it was stressed the help that science could give to the detective (Gross, 1962). Gross was a lawyer rather than a scientist, however, and did not contribute to the development of scientific methods. The greatest contributions in that field were probably those made or inspired by Edmond Locard (1877-1961) of the University of Lyons. His guiding principle, "every contact leaves a trace," still figures prominently in lectures delivered on the subject of criminalistics.
