SCIENCE OF THE HAND. 41 



murder, to steal, or the tendency to insanity, idiocy, etc., were always 

 accompanied by an abnormal disposition of the lines, and, further- 

 more, that these unnatural arrangements of the lines were always 

 alike, or nearly so, in each and every person having the same or 

 similar tendencies. The students of the hand soon learned to tell 

 with unfailing accuracy the tendency to lunacy, or to kleptomania, or 

 to consumption, or to heart disease and many other conditions, by 

 simply seeing the hand and no other portion of the person whatever. 



In the normal hand of every ordinarily healthy person are found 

 three primal lines which together describe an imperfect capital jj{ 

 One line begins about the middle of the outer side of the palm mid- 

 way between the base of the thumb and forefinger. It extends down- 

 wards in a semi -circle, ending about the middle of the base of the 

 thumb, or where the hand joins the wrist. This is called the line of 

 life, because its perfections and imperfections are directly propor- 

 tioned to the natural physical conditions which tend to health and 

 life or disease and death. 



The next line which, beginning at nearly the same place as 

 the line of life, extends more or less directly downward across the 

 palm, is termed the line of the head. Its development has been found 

 to correspond closely to the mental development and capacity of the 

 individual. The third line begins at or near the base of the fore- 

 finger and extends in a curve downward across the palm, curving 

 toward the base of the little finger. This is called the line of the 

 heart and indicates the strength or weakness of the aff ectional nature. 



The experienced palmist can unerringly tell, for instance, such 

 things as whether the person was born one or more months before his 

 or her time, and at what date in life serious illness or misfortunes have 

 befallen them, and can, without fail, tell the general temperament of 

 the person and how he has in the main hitherto conducted himself. 

 And all this not by any secret power, but simply because nature has 

 written in the hand the record indelibly in lines and " crosses," in 

 " squares," in " islands," in " spots ', and in " branches," and anyone 

 who has learned this alphabet can read the history as he can a page 

 from a printed book. Thus, for example, where little hair lines are 

 found branching off or adhering to the line of life, it has been found 

 that this always indicates a dissipation of the vital powers at about a 

 date in the life corresponding to their position on the line, appearing 

 at the end as they so often do, they, show the breaking down of vitality 

 in old age. If this line extends well out into the palm and is long 

 and of good color, this in itself indicates robust strength and long 

 life. If, on the contrary, it follows closely the base of the thumb, the 

 physical structure is not good. The shorter the line the shorter the 

 life. 



The Line of Life. This line should be long, narrow and deep, 

 without break or crosses of any kind. It then indicates long life, 

 health and vitality. But if broken in one hand and unbroken in the 

 other, it indicates some serious illness. If broken in both hands it in- 

 dicates a short life. If, at the beginning of the line, it is broken into 



