| Humankind
has been studying the lines in the hands for thousands of years,
but scientists have only recently turned their attention to what
they call the "palmar creases". They have discovered that
various diseases and genetic conditions are associated with specific
line formations, and that behavioral disorders occur more often
when unusual line and hand shapes appear. This "new' science
is just beginning to unlock the secrets contained in the hands.
However, as
these doctors and scientists attempt to correlate hand lines,
health and behavior, they face a serious obstacle: they do not
have a uniform system of line classification. Dar and Schmidt,
two researchers, write: "As the variability and possible
clinical significance of palm crease abnormalities receives greater
attention, an accurate objective method for evaluating palm crease
variants is required."1
Lacking an
acceptable system for line identification and quantification,
most researchers have either limited their study to one or two
formations, created personal systems too cumbersome for general
use, or have had their data skewed by faulty line identification.
These scientists
may one day find that an excellent line reading system already
exists; one based upon the function of the lines and their relationship
to each other; a system neither too simplistic nor so complicated
as to collapse under its own weight. This system's name is Palmistry.
Unfortunately, these scientists often consider palmistry a "pseudo-science"
unworthy of serous attention.
This biased
view is particularly evident in an article that appeared in the
Journal of the AMA in 1974. Wilson and Mather examined
51 cadavers and statistically correlated age at death with the
length of the life line. They state: "This table can safely
be ignored by palmists…A broken life line is not related
to age at death and it is our personal expectation that it correlates
with nothing whatsoever…We happily conclude that palmistry
may be used to predict life expectancy, but when so used it is
blessedly free of scientific worthiness or usefulness to life
insurers."2
In fact, not
all palmists would agree that the length of the life line does
predict death [and what is their 'personal expectation' doing
in a scientific study anyway?].
Contrary to
the report of Wilson and Mather, other scientists, with more thorough
data bases, have found a wide range of health and behavioral conditions
associated with line formations. In the next several issues of
the HAJ we will explore the history of this study, from the early
research of Fere (19000 and Poch (1925), to Lieber's (1960) ponderous
line classification system, to Milton Alter's sweeping revisions
(1979). We will review the work of Johnson and Opitz (1971), the
most thorough comparison of medical and palmistic points of view.
We will look at the most successful system of scientific line
classification (Chaube, 1971), a system that has produced statistically
relevant data in studies of schizophrenia, cancer, tuberculosis,
diabetes and leprosy. Dar and Schmidt's (1976) topographic system,
reminiscent of palmist Noel Jaquin's approach, will also come
under study.
As we move
toward the 21st century, more and more the dichotomy
between the scientific world and the so-called spiritual arts
will disappear. The study of lines in the hand is a perfect opportunity
for these two realms to join forces and add to humankind's knowledge
of itself.
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