Republic of the Philippines

CAVITE STATE UNIVERSITY

College of Criminal Justice
Don Severino Delas Alas Campus, Indang, Cavite

Name: Dela Peña, Joe Francis A.

DeLos Reyes, Rosemarie Chanda
Dimaranan, Charlene Joy O.
Dumlao, Fatima Genevieve F.
Gonzales, Lovely Joy S.
DATE: OCT. 06, 2022
YEAR & SECTION: BSC 3-8
ACTIVITY NO. 1
INTRODUCTION TO FORENSIC CHEMISTRY AND TOXICOLOGY

I. OBJECTIVE

To trace back the humble beginning and development of forensic chemistry history.

II. PROCEDURE

Create a timeline showing the beginning and development of forensic chemistry history.

PART 1. Search for significant events on the development of Forensic Chemistry in the world.

DATE EVENT

750 BCE To start with, this BCE the Murder weapons and also the method of
execution has been started, they use poison at the early Roman, Greek &
Egyptian Civilization.

1752 AD In this time, the first forensic test has been established. This is also where the
Mary Blandy Trial started.

1813 From the era of Mathieu Orfila, he made a significant contribution to the
development of tests for the presence of blood in a forensic context.

1836 A Scottish Chemist named James Marsh used the first toxicology forensic
detection in a jury trial. Marsh test has become popular from this time up to
present.

1851 In the land of Belgium, the first successful vegetable poison from the body
has been identified by Jean Servais Stas. He is a Chemistry professor from
the Brussel, Belgium.

1910 From the past years up to this era, everything is still improving. This time
1910 the first police crime laboratory has been established by Edmund
Locard which located at Lyon, France.

1960 As time passes by, the first forensic scientist named Lucas Douglas were
recognized for being excellent in discussing the use of gas Chromatography
in identifying petroleum products which suspected the cases of Arson.

1976 Everything has been explained, everyone got answers from their curiosity. In
this time Zoro and Hadley were discussed the use of mass spectrometry for
forensic use.

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 Republic of the Philippines
CAVITE STATE UNIVERSITY
College of Criminal Justice
Don Severino Delas Alas Campus, Indang, Cavite

PART 2. Answer the following questions extensively.

1. What is the scope of Forensic Chemistry

The field of forensic chemistry will encompass the use and/or creation of any molecular and atomic
spectrochemical methodology, electrochemical technique, sensor, surface characterization technique, mass
spectrometry, nuclear magnetic resonance, chemometrics, and statistical method. It will also incorporate research
into materials that shed light on forensic examination of materials.
2. Discuss briefly the importance of forensic chemistry in scientific criminal investigation.
Toxicologists in forensic settings conduct scientific analysis om tissue and bodily fluid samples to find
any drugs or chemicals that may be present. The forensic toxicologists analyze sample taken by forensic
pathologist during an autopsy or by crime scene investigators while working in a lab. To ascertain whether a
particular substance is present in the sample or not, they make use of highly advance equipment, chemical
reagents, and exact procedures.
A forensic toxicologist works with a team of investigators to isolate and identify any compounds in the
body that might have helped in crime such as;

 Alcohol
 Prescribed or illicit drugs
 Other substances
 Poisons
 Metals
3. What are the factors to be considered during the collection of specimens for examination.
FACTORS TO BE CONSIDERED DURING THE COLLECTION OF SPECIMENS FOR
EXAMINATION:

 Sufficiency of Samples
As much as possible, the investigator in charge should collect a sufficient specimen for examination.
Because of this, the chemist will have the assurance that in the case of a doubtful result, there still have enough
samples to repeat the examination or proceed to the succeeding examination.

 Standard for comparison

When the evidence in question is located in or combined with the foreign substance, a sample of such
foreign substance must be provided.

 Maintenance of Individuality
It is necessary to collect and store each piece of evidence separately. Standard specimens and specimens
taken from various locations must not be mixed or combined.

 Labeling and Sealing

The gathered evidence will be reviewed in court. Despite the expert’s excellent report, the specimen
cannot be identified if the labels are incorrect. Consequently, each sample must be appropriately labeled and it is
necessary to seal the specimen containers that are suitable for storing small fragments. On the label, the name of
the person who took the sample, the day and time of collection, any case numbers, and the nature and origin of the
sample should all be mentioned.
4. What are the golden rules in Forensic Chemistry? Explain each.
The six golden rules in the practice of forensic chemistry are;

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 Republic of the Philippines
CAVITE STATE UNIVERSITY
College of Criminal Justice
Don Severino Delas Alas Campus, Indang, Cavite

1. Go Slow
Good work cannot be hurried, therefore take all the time necessary to make the case complete, no matter how
urgent it may appear or how pressing others maybe for the result; it is generally possible to adjourn a case if work cannot
be finish in time.
2. Be Thorough
Make a careful and minute examination of everything and do not be satisfied with a qualitative analysis if a
quantitative one be possible; it’s always pays to do much rather than too little and it is difficult to foresee what will or will
not be required in court.
3. Take Notes
keep a full, neat and clean record of everything seen and done.
4. Consult Others
Many cases will lead the expert into paths with which he is not familiar, and when this happen, he should consult
those who are most likely to know.
5. Use Imagination
This is somewhat hazardous advice, since an expert with a vivid and uncontrolled imagination is a most
dangerous person; a discipline imagination, however which enables inferences and deductions to be made from slender
and incomplete premises is often very useful. in writing the report the imagination must be kept well in hand and the
expert should remember that what to him may be merely a helpful working hypothesis is liable to be taken by others for
more than it's true worth and to be adopted by them as final explanation.
6. Avoid Complicated Theory.
The simplest explanation is the most likely to be the right one

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