THE ORIGIN OF
FINGER-PRINTING

BY

SIR WILLIAM J. HERSCHEL, Bart.

HUMPHREY MILFORD
OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS
LONDON     EDINBURGH     GLASGOW
NEW YORK     TORONTO     MELBOURNE     BOMBAY
1916

PRINTED IN ENGLAND
AT THE OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS

DEDICATION

TO SIR EDWARD HENRY, G.C.V.O., K.C.B.,C.S.I.

Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police.

PREFACE

The following pages have two objects: first, toplace on record the genesis of the Finger-printmethod of personal identification, from its discoveryin Bengal in 1858, till its public demonstrationthere in 1877-8; secondly, to examine the scantysuggestions of evidence that this use of our fingershad been foreshadowed in Europe more than ahundred years ago, and had indeed been general inancient times, especially in China.

In later years, and in energetic hands, the methodhas been developed into a system far more effectivethan anything I contemplated, and I do not go intothat part of the story; but I believe these pages willsuffice to show the originality of my study of its twoessential features, the strict individuality and thestubborn persistence of the patterns on our fingers.

The gift granted to me of lighting upon a discoverywhich promised escape from one great difficultyof administration in India is more than ever appreciatedby me since I have lived to see the promisewonderfully fulfilled there, and in other lands as well.

For the sake of interest I give, among the illustrations,several examples of late 'repeats' takenmany years after I left India; but these do notbelong to my story.

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS