Historical forensic pathology – a "new" discipline

Abstract

<i>Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.</i><br/> Sir Winston Churchill (1874–1965)<br/> One of the failings of modern forensic pathology is that there is often very little effort made to draw upon the rich history that has been endowed by previous generations of practitioners. For example, the complex analyses and academic discourse that distinguished nineteenth century European forensic practice still stand as gold standards in some areas, however, many of the major pathologists of that time have been forgotten, along with their considerable legacies. The same lack of engagement often applies to historical events where standard documentation and conclusions are accepted despite the fact that the application of modern techniques and review of primary sources may provide an opportunity to shed new light on what actually occurred, and/or give us an increased appreciation of the complexity of certain events. The following review of a short series of papers provides an insight into the range of historical questions and issues that can be explored and analyzed under the umbrella of historical forensic research.