Special Marks

SPECIAL MARKS, visible individual characteristics of the body during an external examination; their presence helps in the identification of unknown persons. Special Marks is a concept not strictly limited. In particular, it includes spinal curvatures, leg (rickets) and other parts, limb shortening, partial absence (amputation), bone growths, etc. The mentioned structural irregularities of bones have repeatedly played a known role in establishing personal identity on highly decomposed corpses and on skeletons. Other features observed on the body and, in particular, on the skin of the face, such as birthmarks, warts, tumors, scars, etc., are of essential importance; then corneal opacities, absence of the eyeball, defects of the nose, deformities (harelip), deviations in the shape and arrangement of teeth, sometimes artificial teeth, deformation or absence of the auricle, etc. Special Marks also include tattoo marks with images on the skin of the initials of one's own name, the year, various objects, often indicating the profession of the given person; for example, crossed swords and sabers for soldiers, an anchor for sailors, axes for butchers and carpenters, hammers for masons and locksmiths. The most common place for tattooing is the inner surface of the shoulder, forearm, less often the chest, the back of the hand, and as an exception even the penis. The significance of such a find on the corpse of an unknown person is understandable. Therefore, some have proposed forced tattooing of criminals for the recognition of recidivists, analogous to branding, which was practiced at one time in Russia. Thus, under Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich (1637), counterfeiters were branded on their cheeks with the word 'thief' so that these thieves would be 'known'. It should be noted that on a corpse, tattoo marks can become indistinguishable due to decomposition. In living persons, tattooing sometimes disappears over time due to the paint entering the lymph, vessels, and glands; it can be destroyed (Tardieu) by the action of caustic acids with subsequent formation of a flat scar on the skin. As Special Marks, professional changes of hands also serve; for example, under certain works, characteristic calluses form on the skin (e.g., the hands of a tailor-fitter, cobbler, bronze carver, locksmith, blacksmith, etc.). Various skin and nail colorings of the hands have the same significance. In particular, the nails of carpenters are dark brown, those of tobacco workers are brown, those with indigo defects are blue, and with picric acid are yellow, and those of tanners are dark red. Finally, to Special Marks one can attribute the property of a known person to use predominantly the left hand (left-handed). In right-handers, the musculature of the right hand is more developed, the circumference of the shoulders and forearms is greater, the bones are longer, and the nails (according to Minakov) are wider and flatter. In left-handers the relationship is the opposite. The presence of Special Marks brings significant benefit in the identification of unknown persons in many cases. The description of Special Marks (verbal portrait — see Anthropological study of criminals) is entered, along with other research results, into a special card of the given person. The cards are located in identification bureaus existing in all large cities.

V. Vladimirovna. ORGANISM, an individual organism (see) possessing the integrity characteristic of it and being in a specific interaction with the surrounding environment.