A STATE-OF-THE-ART REVIEW PORTRAYS THE SCIENCE OF CRIMINALISTICS AND ITS ALLIED DISCIPLINES E.G., FORENSIC MEDICINE, DOCUMENT ANALYSIS AS THEY ARE TAUGHT AT UNIVERSITIES AND POLICE ACADEMIES. CURRICULA SAMPLES ILLUSTRATE THE CURRENT STATUS OF CRIMINALISTICS AS PART OF CRIMINOLOGICAL STUDIES. A DEFINITION OF CRIMINALISTICS INCLUDES A DETAILED EXPLANATION OF ITS AUXILIARY DISCIPLINES AND THE APPLICATIONS OF CRIMINALISTICS TO CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS. PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT TO THE DISCUSSION IS THE METHODOLOGY OF SUSPECT IDENTIFICATION, ESPECIALLY THE TECHNIQUE CALLED THE 'VERBAL PORTRAIT' (COMBINED WITH PHOTOGRAPHIC EVIDENCE, SUCH AS MUG SHOTS). THIS VERBAL PORTRAIT IS A COMPOSITE VERBAL DESCRIPTION OF A SUBJECT IN WHICH PRECISE VERBAL FORMULAS ARE USED TO PORTRAY IN MINUTE DETAIL EVERY FACIAL AND BODILY TRAIT, POSTURE, GENERAL APPEARANCE, AND VOICE, BASED ON THE PREMISE THAT EVERY FRAGMENT OF A PERSON'S BODY IS UNIQUE. THIS PARTICULAR TECHNIQUE OF CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION HAS WIDER APPLICATIONS TO HISTORY AND THE ARTS, AS ILLUSTRATED BY THE EXAMPLE OF A VERBAL PORTRAIT OF FERNANDO CORTES. ALL KNOWN PAINTINGS OF CORTES HAVE BEEN PHOTOGRAPHED AND COMPARED IN DETAIL, AND TOGETHER WITH CONTEMPORARY WRITTEN DESCRIPTIONS OF THIS CONTROVERSIAL PERSONALITY (VARYING FROM FLATTERY TO CARICATURE, EVEN OBLOQUY), THE FORMULAS OF THE VERBAL PORTRAIT HAVE BEEN USED TO ACHIEVE A REASONABLY ACCURATE LIKENESS. FOR RELATED DOCUMENT, SEE NCJ-64908. --IN SPANISH. (LGR)