Poroscopy: A Method Of Personal Identification

POROSCOPY 

Poroscopy is a method of personal identification through the comparison of the impressions of sweat pores , present on Palmer and planter surfaces Or in a broader form , The study of the configuration, size, and relative position of the pores in human skin, which are the external openings of the sebaceous and sweat glands. Poroscopy is used in criminalistics together  with Dactyloscopy for purposes of identification. It involves the study of  pores visible in impressions left at the crime scene and in the fingerprints of a  person. When the impression is not of such a good quality for comparison , the expert used the poroscopy as an another means of identification. 

Dr. Edmond Locard - Dr. Locard was born in France in 1877. He coined the term “poroscopy”, was the first to report the use of sweat pores in personal identification after he noted the presence of sweat pores in unique shapes and configurations on ridges in Palmer and plantar areas. These observations were further validated by Dr. Henry Faulds. He began to study poroscopy as the result of a break-in and theft. A rosewood jewelry box,which had held the stolen jewelry, was found to be covered with fingerprints. Several latent prints obtained from Soc and two people were identified by the name of Boudet and Simonin. The prints lacked overall pattern configuration and the convicts would not confess to the crime. Dr. Locard compared both the prints. He observed that Boudet prints contained 901 pores and Simonin palm print contained 2000 pores in there relative position. This amount of third level detail has an enormous value towards identification. Both men were convicted and sentenced for that theft.

In 1973 the identification community in North America embraced a new standard for friction ridges identification. The static threshold identification ideology , where a set number of points were counted was rejected. Three different categories are classified for a fingerprint detail.  Level 1 - It includes fingerprint patterns (loop, whorl, arch and accidental) and ridges flow . Level 2  - It includes the minutiae details in a fingerprint . Level 3 It includes the characteristics  of sweat pores or other fine features of a ridge . Poroscopy is reliable and actual as it comes under the third level details. Edmond Locard know that the sweat pores has triple characteristics of immutability, variety and perpetuity , which make them as instrument of personal identification.

So, In poroscopy the following features of pores were studied.

1  Number of pores

2  Distance between pores (inter-spacing)       

3  Size of pores  (minute,medium,large)      

4  Shape of pores (rounded,rhomboid,elliptical, square,rectangular)

5  Position of the pores on the ridge.(whether in center or at periphery of a ridge)
    the pores having definite boundary walls are closed pores and pores with broken boundary
    walls are opened pores.

But this technique could not gain much popularity due to the following reasons -

a) No systematic data available about the various aspects of sweat pores, such as  their shape, size, position and inter-spacing frequency etc.

b) Sweat pores microscopic nature gives difficulty to finger print experts for the examination of their details and to use them for identification purposes.

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About forensic fingerprint

MR. DEEPAK PAWAR has been working as Finger Print Expert / Police Officer in Finger Print Bureau , Delhi Police at New Delhi since 2001 . He is the senior most Finger Print Expert , attending / visited several scene of crime and solved many crime cases .He has passed M.Sc (Chemistry) and he is the Member of International Association of Identification . He is the Member of Delhi Police welfare association . He is supervising the Forensic , New Delhi District , Mobile Crime Team . He is one of the Expert in the Special Investigation Team held for investigation of important cases . He has been giving fingerprint proficient training to Delhi Police personnel's . He has been Presented / giving lectures on topics related to forensic science . He is also making examination paper of Finger Print proficient course . He is awarded with Police Medal by MHA and Delhi Police.

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