Simplified Preliminary Blood Testing--An Improved Technique and a Comparative Study of Methods
![handle is hein.journals/jclc42 and id is 107 raw text is: POLICE SCIENCE
SIMPLIFIED PRELIMINARY BLOOD TESTING
An Improved Technique and a Comparative Study of Methods*
Morris Grodsky, Keith Wright, and Paul L. Kirk
Paul L. Kirk, Professor of Biochemistry and Criminology, University of Cali-
fornia, has undertaken a series of studies on blood tests. This is the first report
on these studies. With the importance of accurate identification of blood stains in
criminal investigation, we are pleased to publish this important paper which devel-
ops new field techniques and evaluates the various tests when used in combination.
Assisting Dr. Kirk with this study are Morris Grodsky, a graduate student in
Criminology, and Keith Wright, a recent graduate of the University of California.
-]EDITOR.
The location of faint and invisible blood stains and the preliminary
identification of visible stains have long been performed by means of the
benzidine test, supplemented less frequently by other catalytic'color tests
such as the leuco-malachite green and the phenolphthalin tests, and the
luminescent 3-aminophthalhydrazide (luminol) test. Studies of the vari-
ous tests have shown that there is a degree of interference with some of
them that effectively prevents their use as proof of the presence of
blood. Pinker (1), particularly, has made an excellent study of the
substances which interfere with the three color' tests listed. Other
investigators also list such interferences, and we have extended this
study somewhat. Less is known of the materials interfering with the
leuco-malachite green test (2) or with the phenolphthalin test (3) than
with the benzidine test. Specht (4), who originated the lurninol test
for blood, claimed a virtual lack of interference with it. This assertion
was essentially confirmed by Proescher and Moody (5) who also be-
lieved it to be completely specific for blood when properly performed.
That such is clearly not the case is shown by the similar use of luminol
as a test for copper ions (6) afid other uses of a similar nature (7).
It is probably true that materials interfering with the benzidine test
do not interfere with the luminol test and vice versa. It can also be
shown that the phenolphthalin test is relatively specific for blood, and
that the leuco-malachite green test also shows less interference than
does the benzidine test. It can be further shown that materials inter-
fering with the phenolphthalidi, benzidine, and luminol tests are different
in nature in all cases so far tested.
Another important consideration which has been treated less com-
pletely than is desirable in the literature is the absolute and relative
*Aided by a grant from the Research Board of the University of California.](ViewImageLocal?handle=hein.journals/jclc42&div=15&collection=&method=preview&ext=.png&size=3)
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Simplified Preliminary Blood Testing--An Improved Technique and a Comparative Study of Methods
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