If the hands of a thousand people are examine, in each one will be found a different combination of lines. If the number of examinations is carried into tens of thousands, you will still find the lines in every hand different form every other one. No matter how many hands are seen you will find new lines in all of them. An offer of $1000 was once made for any two hands found marked exactly alike. There was not risk incurred in this offer, for no two hands will ever be found which do not differ in some respects. This universal difference cannot be attributed wholly accident, for if that were the cause we should sometimes have the "Accident" occur of finding two hands exactly alike. As such a thing never happens, we must look elsewhere for an explanation. This explanation is afforded by the knowledge that no two people are exactly alike in character, temperament, or in any other way, and thousands of experiments have proven that in whatever way these persons differ, a corresponding change is found in the hand. This is not theory; it is well proven, actual experience, and until we find two person exactly alike in every way, without even a shade of variation in any direction, we shall never find two hands lines exactly alike. It is, however, a well established fact that the nearer people are like each other, the nearer alike are the lines in their hands. Thus we often find in the hands of children strange cases of similarity to those of the parents, but there is always a difference in some particular. With such a wide variation existing in the lines of the hand manifestly no one could every tabulate all of the possible differences.
It became apparent to me many years ago that unless a working hypothesis could be established, and a set of general principles laid down, which could be applied to any line and which would never vary, reading from the lines in the hand would always be uncertain. That there was a reliable working hypothesis I felt sure, if only it could be discovered. This I have found to be true, for bit by bit the one herein laid down has been gathered together, until to-day it is possible of application to every hand, and will never fail if properly applied. Even though you do not at first accept this hypothesis as being true, nevertheless give it a trial and apply it faithfully and carefully to your line reading. If this is done you will find that, whether you believe it or not, you are able, through its application, to correctly read the lines in the hand, and after you have acquired the ability to do this, it matters little to you whether the theory be false or true.

Of all the fingers of the hand, that of Jupiter is the only one which can stand erect by itself. The other three are so bound together that they cannot be straightened out independently of each other. thus the finger of Jupiter is the magnet which attracts the life Current that passes through it into the body. There is no doubt in the mind of any thinker, but that we are surrounded on all sides by an atmosphere, and that this atmosphere is charged with some imponderable force, which, if not actually electricity, is still very like it in action and results. This force is widely diffused, intangible, and possesses great power. It is by the concentration of this force that the life Current is formed, which is a connecting link between the human being and the Unknown. This force we can neither see nor feel, and can only judge of its presence by its results. That at the moment of birth it enters our body though the finger of Jupiter, forms a magnetic Current which ceaselessly travels through us during life, is continually passing out of us again, and that it stops at death, I have no doubt. And this is the same life Current spoken of in Chapter 2, Part1. I have no desire no, nor is it necessary, to enter into any lengthy discussion to prove the existence of this life Current, but as it forms a good working hypothesis, I desire that you use it, as least theoretically. as I have found that through its application to the lines in the hand, it becomes a key with which we can easily unlock their meaning. The finger of Jupiter we can then conceive to be the attractor, which, standing erect, draws together the diffuse force surround us and concentrates it into a steadily flowing Current. The more we study this body of ours, the more we find it to be like an electric dynamo, and this life Current which we have conceived is a good deal like the Electric Current which keeps the dynamo moving. As everyone is more or less familiar with the operation of an Electric Current, I have found in teaching Palmistry that this simile is the best I have ever used, and that it conveys a mental picture which is easily applied to the lines. So I shall call this Current hereafter the Electric Current, and we will conceive it to be flowing steadily into us through the finger of Jupiter, reaching first the Heart line and setting in motion the circulation, passing next to the Head line and awakening the mind; and when circulation and mind start to operate, life begins, so this Current passes on to the Life line and courses through it. In the study of the lines we consider the whole sphere of their operation to be in the hand itself, sos when the Current has passes through the Life life, we think of it as passing out again, traveling over the Lines of Saturn, Apollo, and Mercury, and finding its egress though these fingers.

You will thus see that the beginning of the line of Heart is under the finger of Jupiter, and it is read from this beginning across the hand to the percussion. The line of the Head is read in the same direction, and the line of Life is read from its start, under the finger of Jupiter, downward. The beginning of these, three lines covers the earlier years of life, and the ends of the lines cover the latter years, while the central portion records the middle part of life. It is not until the portion record the middle part of life. It is not until the Current reaches a line of Saturn receives the Current from the end of the Life line, we begin to read it from the bottom upward; the lower part of the line of Saturn covering the first years of life, the topmost portion the latter days, and the central portion the middle part of life. The lines of Apollo and Mercury both are read in the same direction. The Main lines in the hand are six in number, and are called the Heart line, the Head line, the Life line, the Saturn line, the Apollo line, and the Mercury line, each one of which indicates different qualities.

The Mercury line has also been designated Hepatica, Liver line, and line of Health, but it is in reality the line of Mercury, and I shall call it so. In addition to the Main lines there are seven minor lines. These are the Ring of Solomon, the Ring of Saturn, the Girdle of Venus, the lines of Affection, the line of Mars, the line of Intuition, and the Bracelets, three in number, but of which only the upper one is worthy or consideration. These is another Minor line, called the Via Lascivia, and supposed to be a sister line to the Mercury line. I do not consider it as any more than a chance line, and consequently not entitled to be given a fixed place among the Minor lines. These thirteen lines when found in any hand are always in the same relative location, though their start and course though the hand vary infinitely. With a little practice, you will have no trouble in locating them or in noting their absence. We do not find all the Main lines in every hand, but always some of them. The Heart line is seldom absent, though more often so than the lines of Head and Life. The Head line is present in 95% of hands, though some times very short. The Life line is seldom entirely absent, though I have seen cases where is was, in subjects who had no robustness or constitution whatever, but existed entirely on their nervous force. The line of Saturn is frequently absent, and the lines of Apollo and Mercury more frequently so. The Minor lines are found in varying degrees of frequency, and as they indicate peculiar qualities, are more often present in some types than others.

On examining a pair of hands do not be disconcerted at not finding all, or a majority, of the Main lines, but read what are there and estimate how much those which are absent have taken away from the subject. In some hands you will find hundreds of lines crossing the palm in every direction. This multitude is made up of chance lines, worry lines, and lines showing various emotions, and every line not a Main or Minor line belongs to this class. This multiplicity of lines shows an intensely nervous person who is a prey to innumerable conflicting emotions, and through whose hand the Electric Current is zigzagging in every direction, producing electric nervousness. Your first task, in such a case, should be to pick out the Main lines, see how much they are injured by the confusion of chance lines ,and for the first part of your apprenticeship in line-reading this much-rayed hand should be read simply as denoting intense nervousness. Every one of these many chance lines is an emotion. Some begin in no definite location, and end the same ay; these are fugitive impulses, which have started the subject vigorously in some direction, but the enthusiasm has dies and the effort has been abandoned. While such an emotion lasted it was strong enough to burn its mark in the hand, burt in the end it came to naught. These lines are not worth reading.
Other chance lines being on one Mount and end on another Mount; such line will show the connection of the qualities of these two Mounts and have some valuable meaning.
Some chance lines begin in a Main or Minor line, and end either on a Mount or on another Main or Minor line These lines are all important. It will not be long before you will learn to distinguish between the liens of fugitive emotions and those that are really valuable. By all means do not puzzle and worry trying to read chance lines until the Main and Minor lines are plain to you, for the ability to read chance lines develops as the Main line become easy to understand.

First learn to observe whether the lines are in proportion to the hand. If you find a very large hand, you expect deep large lines ,a nd a small, fine hand should be delicately traced. The amount of Electric Current that is attracted into the body by a large finger of Jupiter, on a large hand, will be considerable, and the lines through which this Current is to flow must be large enough to carry it, just as electricians need large wires to carry a large Electric Current. If in a large hand the lines be very delicate and thin and of the size that would properly carry the Current attracted by the big hand will be too great for small lines, and disaster in some form will ensue.
I remember a doctor who once consulted me, in show big hands I saw lines totally inadequate to carry the Current they were attracting. I advised him to use great care in his mental labors, not to overdo, for the Head line was most noticeably thin. He did not give the advice serious consideration, and in little less than a year he was sent to an insane asylum a hopeless wreck. The Head line could not carry the strong Current attracted, and destruction followed. As a contrary proposition, if the hand be small and the lines very large and deep there is too much channel for a small subject to own with safety.

It is necessary to analyze each line minutely, beginning at its starting point and following its course to the end. It will not do to judge a line in its entirety without regarding every variation in its direction, depth, size, color, and noting whether it runs clear and even, or whether it breaks, is crossed, or has other defects peculiar to lines. The changes and events in our lives are read with more ease and greater accuracy from this minute examination of the lines themselves. along their entire length, than from chance lines.

It is advisable to have a method in the examination. Begin with the Heart line, study next the Head line, the Life line, and so on. This will accustom you to be systematic in work, and less likely to overlook important matters.
- If the Main lines in the hand are clear and strong and the chance lines few, the subject is even-tempered, and is largely following the natural course of their life.
- If the chance lines are many and cross the Main lines in various ways, the subject is impressionable, drawn in many directions, and will change their natural life's map.

Pay greater attention to the two hands when reading the lines than in your Chirognomic examinations. People do not so readily change their type construction as they do the course of their lives. A Jupiterian subject will always be a Jupiterian, but events may change and alter the natural course of their life. They may ruin a strong physique by excess, or they may allow their ambitions to undo themselves, but they will always be a Jupiterian, though the course of their life has been diverted. The type, Chrognomy will tell you; the outcome of their career must be read from the map of the lines.
Thus the left hand is most accurate in showing you the naturally designed map of their life, and the right hand will tell you how the subject has altered it. In the examination of innumerable cases I have seen naturally fine lives outlines in the left hand, while ruin showed in the right; and I have seen naturally nervous ,weak, vacillating lives shown in the left hand, changed to strong, well directed lives in the right.
Poorly marked, badly traced, and defective lines in one hand, changed to strong, clear well marked lines in the other, will show the change in the life of the subject, either from good to bad or bad to good, as the case may be.

With all the lines, note where they begin, the course over which they travel, and the place they end. From the source of a line the origin of a trait may be determined, and by the bends in a line we may learn what thing have drawn it out of its course, and the final outcome is indicated by the place at which it ends.

Note every defect in the line, see whether these defects destroy the line, weaken it, or what change they effect.
Note all added lines, sister lines, or individual signs which strengthen or repair the lines. Before beginning a separate consideration of each line it is necessary to learn to distinguish a good line from a defective one, and to tell what the defects are, and how they may be repaired. The next chapter will accomplish this, and in it we will also consider the individual signs, some of which are produced by defective lines and should be considered as such, and all of which should be thoroughly understood before starting with the separate lines. In these first chapters I desire to make clear the general principles governing the lines, and to start you to applying the Current theory to them, after which there will be no difficulty in reading the separate lines.