The so-called New Age we live in presumes to supply us with the material we need to become enlightened. Unlike the 18h century's Age of Enlightenment, however, which hoped to replace social, religious, and political traditions with rational thinking, the New Age wants to combine technology with a revival of ancient spiritual and intuitive practices.

Palmistry is one of those ancient practices. It sprang up in diverse cultures thousands of years ago; in our own culture it fell out of favor with the rise of rationalism and because of associations with charlatanism. But the study of hands has returned in two new forms; both are in their developmental infancy and are regrettably separate from each other. In one camp are the tenets of hand analysis subscribed to in this column, which borrow from ancient wisdom and bring in modern concepts, adding life purpose interpretations of dermatoglyphics. In the other camp is modern medicine, the branch of science that gave dermatoglyphics its name, and which studies various features of the hands for the light they can shed on disease and genetic abnormality. The term dermatoglyphics came into being in 1926 with the work of Oklahoma physician who concerned himself with observations on the patterns found on the specialized skin surfaces of the hands and feet and the relevance they may have in diagnosis. Since then, further correlates have been found and applied, especially between genetic diseases and epidermal ridge patterns. Statistics have been gleaned on parallels between certain disorders and the presence of particular features marked in the hands.

The markings themselves have been extensively investigated for intrauterine and hereditary influences; moreover, developing fetal hands have been observed during ridge pattern formation, which takes palace at 16 weeks' gestational age. Pediatrics is a branch of medicine that increasingly incorporates dermatoglyphics in the fields of medical and genetic diagnostics. Detection of childhood leukemia, Turner's Syndrome and other disorders before symptoms emerge can make management of those illnesses more effective. The risk of Down Syndrome, the first genetic defect to be recognized for its predictable concomitants in the hand, can now be forecast through the fingerprints of parents, even before pregnancy.

Recent developments in optical scanners and computers greatly escalate the potentials for hands to shed light in medicine. The "two camps" eye each other with unmitigated suspicion. But it seems inevitable that, as palmistry incorporates more left-brained attributes and relevance to the times we live in, and medical science adopts more intuitive responses and holistic strategies, the two will recognize each other for the work they can share in illuminating a new path for the 21^st century.