Bertillon System for Dummies

Hey there! So, the Bertillon System is a way to identify people based on their physical measurements. It was developed by a guy named Alphonse Bertillon, who was a French criminologist in the late 19th century. Instead of just relying on someone's name or a photo, Bertillon came up with the idea of using specific body measurements like the length of a person's head, the size of their ear, and the length of their arm. This might seem a bit weird, but it was a super important step in the history of criminal investigation and forensic science.

So, imagine if you had a bunch of different keys, but only one of them would unlock a certain door. That's kind of how the Bertillon System worked. By taking all these different measurements, the police could create a unique "key" for each person, making it easier to identify them if they ever committed a crime.

The Bertillon System was eventually replaced by fingerprinting and DNA testing, but at the time, it was a big leap forward in how police could track down and catch criminals. It's like using a puzzle piece to figure out which piece from the puzzle it fits into - the measurements acted as a unique piece of the puzzle, helping police solve crimes and protect people. Pretty cool, right?