PROCEEDINGS OF THE ANATOMICAL AND ANTHROPOLOGICAL 



OBSERVATIONS ON AND CLASSIFICATIONS OF 1,500 FINGER- 

 PRINTS EXAMINED IN THE ANTHROPOMETRIC LABORA- 

 TORY, ABERDEEN UNIVERSITY. 



By Miss A. V. BAXTER, M.A., and Mr. J. M. McQuEEN, M.A. 

 (Read 5th November, 1904.) 



In the Anthropometric Laboratory in the Anatomical Depart- 

 ment of this University, a record is taken of the finger-prints of all 

 students at the commencement of their medical curriculum. 



By the kind permission of Professor Reid, whose interest in 

 anthropometric matters is well known to all of us, a statistical study 

 of these finger-prints has been made, the results of which it is my 

 privilege to place before you to-day. 



But first a word as to what finger-prints are. On the palms of 

 the hands and soles of the feet there are found minute ridges mapped 

 out in distinct systems. These systems do not make one continuous 

 whole but leave divergent areas, and in these are found small and 

 independent systems with some characteristic shape. The study of 

 finger-prints is confined to an examination of these smaller systems 

 or patterns. 



These patterns though overlooked in daily life are of great 

 significance, furnishing us with, in some respects, the most important 

 of anthropometric data. In all scientific matters careful observations 

 and attention to detail are absolutely necessary. The botanist ex- 

 amines the plant with his lens to detect the presence or absence of 

 bracts, scales, stipules, etc. The zoologist may succeed in classifying 

 a bird by noting the shape and adaptations of its foot. In like 

 manner we too are identified by minute individual characteristics, and 



