About Bertillonage (Anthropometry)

Bertillonage (which is also known as anthropometry, though that is a broader area of study) is the process of taking bodily measurements and identifying key markings from criminals and those accused of crimes so they can be identified in the future. It was invented by Alphonse Bertillon, who was from a family of statisticians, after he dropped out of school, went through a stint in the army, and then ended up on the police force. It and its founder became famous. Per Wikipedia, "Bertillon is referenced in the Sherlock Holmes story The Hound of the Baskervilles, in which one of Holmes's clients refers to Holmes as the 'second highest expert in Europe' after Bertillon."

Alas, bertillonage was prone to error as officers did not take all measurements the same way, and multiple people could have the same basic measurements. So it is fair to say it sent more than a few innocents to prison. It's not clear that this deeply worried Bertillon, who, in fact, appeared as a prosecution expert in the infamous Dreyfus Affair. Although Bertillon had no expertise in handwriting, his handwriting testimony is what sent Dreyfus to Devil's Island. According to an observer at the trial, Bertillon was "certainly not in full possession of his faculties" and his testimony was "a long tissue of absurdities."

Bertillonage was supplanted by fingerprinting though it's still with us in the form of mugshots and other identifying photos taken on arrest. It should not, by the way, be confused with anthropological criminology, the discredited theory that cranial dimensions and facial features are a predictor of criminal behavior.

Also -- a pro tip. If your wife asks you to buy her clothing, do not ask her what her dimensions are. Ask for her measurements. (Alternative approach: do not ask at all as you're supposed to know these things. Just measure her clothes when she's not looking.) If you do ask for her dimensions, though, referencing bertillonage will not help you.