ABSTRACT
The fascinating chemical luminol, which produces a bright luminescence when in the presence of the most minute amounts of blood, is without a doubt an asset to the investigator’s repertoire. Chemiluminescence occurs when a molecule capable of fluorescing is raised to an excited level during a chemical reaction. On its return to the ground state, energy in the form of light is emitted. Only a few molecules are known to emit appreciable amounts of light, and of those, luminol is one of the most outstanding. Much of the early work with luminol occurred in Germany, and consequently, many of the articles require translation. The following text, however, is an attempt to unravel the history of luminol and its use in the detection of blood.
