Prehistoric
Picture
writing of a hand with ridge patterns was discovered in Nova Scotia. In
ancient Babylon, fingerprints were used on clay tablets for business
transactions. In ancient China, thumb prints were found on clay seals.
In
14th century Persia, various official government papers had
fingerprints (impressions), and one government official, a doctor,
observed that no two fingerprints were exactly alike.
1686 - Malpighi
In
1686, Marcello Malpighi, a professor of anatomy at the University of
Bologna, noted in his treatise; ridges, spirals and loops in
fingerprints. He made no mention of their value as a tool for individual
identification. A layer of skin was named after him; "Malpighi" layer,
which is approximately 1.8mm thick.
1823 - Purkinje
In
1823, John Evangelist Purkinje, a professor of anatomy at the
University of Breslau, published his thesis discussing 9 fingerprint
patterns, but he too made no mention of the value of fingerprints for
personal identification.
1858 - Hershel
The
English first began using fingerprints in July of 1858, when Sir
William James Herschel, Chief Magistrate of the Hooghly district in
Jungipoor, India, first used fingerprints on native contracts. On a
whim, and without thought toward personal identification, Herschel had
Rajyadhar Konai, a local businessman, impress his hand print on a
contract.
