What Palmists Know.

Ohinemuri Gazette, Volume XXVI, Issue 3451, 29 October 1915, Page 1

What Palmists Know.

In "The Mutilated Hand and the Workmen's Compensation Act " Dr. J. J. Ocanlan maintains that any- , one with some power of observation, aided by a lens, ought to be able to "reconstruct the leading features of the individual whose hand , is under examination. Not'by studying the veins, but by using a iitlle commdnsense." Dr. Scaulan writes: # —"Every man's hand, even that yf the idler and waster, bears some 1, * evidence s of his daily occupation,' - ■ ■ometimes slight, sometimes abundant. The roughened hands, of the navvy are not to be mistaken. •"* Distinctive trades and occupations produce distinctive trade mar Us s The corns on the fingers of -'the cutter, the > depression in the palm., of the carpenter and sculptor, from chisel, mallejt, and hammer ; th€ 'twine-finger' of the shop assistant ;• the corns on the fingers of the violinist ; the stains of the chemical and dye worker ; the highly-washed hands of the surgeon ; the impressioned finger of the quill-driver Practically every occupation lendssome peculiarity to the workers hand. _ , "Consumption, heart disease, rheumatism gout, nerve diseases, para-, lysis, are all photographed in th« bands or nails. Diseases resulting from, excesses in alcohol, tobacco, and drugs produce tell-tale e\idence. Temperaments, habits, and vices all produce evidence in th« .hand as well as in the face. The ' bitten nails of the bad-tempered, the dug-in-nail impressions in the palms of the nervous, cannot be hidden.

An idea as to past life may be gleaned—illness, misfortune, crime, ( vice,' hard work, all leave their - marks behind. The present condi,tion may be arrived at by a process of elimination, and a fair conclusion may be drawn as to the ' Well-being;'of: the subject. Summing up.all the evidence, an attempt at a forecast might be indulged in. HAND-HEADING. '"the word palmistry," says Dr. Scanlan, "has brought, the so-called science into disrepute. The word 'hand-reading' should more correctly describe its true meaning." , „ In the "perfect hand, Dr. Scanlan writes, "ttie fingers should b€ straight, slightly tapering, and should be neither of the delicate nor stumpy type. They should be

freely mobile, allowing of extension and flexion, abduction and adduction. When the fingers are bent over t the palm they cannot be separated from one another 'as when they are extended. The fingers should be able to be closed m a roll-top fashion on to the palm. The nails of the fingers should be of a healthy ' pinkish colour, free from any 'club* bing,' streaks, or brittlemess.

"Civilisation has , diminished th« sense of smell and taste, and the sense of touch Is being rapidly lost through the advance in mechanical instrument* U H sateotific machinery." The motor tnw, however, cheers the writer, who remarks:— t "The modern habit •( jumping on to quickly moving motor buses, whsre* by . the weight of the botfjr. is thrown Yon to the hand aad sup- ' ported by the elenchtfd ftst, will' , -. probably arrest the tendency el one, ?-?7 nuscle—the . Palmarfe. JhHsflp*^;^^"^ ii—ppear " '