Origins & Early Life

Song Ci (Chinese: 宋慈; pinyin: Sòng Cí; Wade–Giles: Sung Tzʻu; 1186–1249) was a Chinese physician, judge, forensic medical scientist, anthropologist, and writer of the Southern Song dynasty. He is most well known for being the world's first forensic entomologist, having recorded his experience examining bodies for judicial cases in the Collected Cases of Injustice Rectified (Xi Yuan Ji Lu). Song Ci was born into a bureaucrat family in Jianyang (in present-day Nanping of Fujian province). He served as a presiding judge in the high courts of the Song dynasty for several terms.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

During his post at a criminal court in Hunan Province, Song Ci personally examined the crime scenes each time he encountered a difficult case of homicide or physical assault. Song Ci combined historical cases of forensic science with his own experiences and wrote the book Collected Cases of Injustice Rectified, the oldest known evidence of forensic entomology, with an eye to avoiding miscarriages of justice. The book was esteemed by generations of forensic scientists. Eventually it was translated into English, German, Japanese, French, and other languages. It recounts a murder using a sickle in 1235.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

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• 1186 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1186
• 1249 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1249