Line of Mercury

SHREWDNESS
INDUSTRY
SCIENTIFIC
BUSINESS
QUICKNESS

The fourth Mount tupe is the Mercurian, who is identifiedby the Mount and Finger of Mercury. He is always pronounced in his characteristic, and has great power as on orator, a scientist, a physician, or a lawyer, and is also very successful in business. The first aim, with every subject of this type, should be to discover which of the several phases is stongest, and whether
the good or bad side is dominant, for of all the types, none gives way to dishonesty with more ease than the Mercurian. On its good side, it is one of the best and most successful of all of the types, but no greater liars, swindlers, or cheats can be found than bad Mercurians. For this reason the fourth type requires careful consideration, for in this type are combined
more different elements than in any of the others. The Mercurian is generally successful, primarily because of his shrewdness and the fact that he is a wonderful judge of human nature, and secondarily on account of skill with his his hands and his tireless energy. In the professions of law and medicine he is in his element, since, in the former especially, natural shrewdness and
facility of expression help his greatly. The Mercurians are fine writers and shrewd business men achieving the greatest success in both lines.

As single signs, or in combination, the star, triangle, circle, single vertical line, trident or square stengthen a Mount of Mercuy. The cross-bar, grille, cross, island or dot, show defects of the Mount, either of health or character, nails, color, etc, will determine which. When the Mount of Mercury is well developed, finger long and large, and apex of the Mount centrally located, you have a Mercurian subject.

In stature the Mercurian is small, averaging about five feet six inches, compactly built, trim in appearance, tidy looking and with a strong, forceful expression of countenance. His face is oval in shape, feature inclined to be regular, and the expressison changes rapidly, showing the quick play of his mind. The skin is smooth, fine, and trasparent, tending to be olive in color,
and shows the passing of the blood current underneath, by earily turning alternately red or white when excited, embarrassed, or in fear. The forehead is high and bulging, the hair is chestnut or black and inclined to be curly on the ends. The Mercuian grows a beard easily, which overs the face well, and generally a little darker than the hair, if it be any color other than
black, He likes to wear his beard trimmed closely and running to a point on the chin, Vandyke fashion. The eyebrows are not thick but are regular in
outline, running to fine points at the ends, and sometines meeeting over the nose. The latter growth is rare, however, belonging more distinctively to the Saturnian. The eyes are dark or quite black, restless and sharp in expression. They look right at and seemingly through you and sometimes produce the disagreeable but correct conviction that you are being estimated by one will able to do it. The nose is thin and staight, somewhat fleshy on the end; the lips are thin, evenly set and often a trifle pale or bluish in color. The whites of the eye grequetly have a trace of yellow, as the Mercurian is of a nervous and slightly bilious type. His nervousness makes him breathe quickly and often through his mouth. The chin is long and sharp,
sometimes turning up slightly at the end, completing the oval contour of his face. The neck is strong and nuscular, connecting the head with shapely shoulders lithe and sinewy and greceful in outline. The chest is large for the stature, well muscled and containing bigh lungs. The voice of the Mercurian is not full and loud, nor weak and thin, but is of medium timbre and possesses good "carrying" quality. The limbs are graceful, giving him agility and the quickness of movement for which he is noted, as well as a power of endurance coming from muscular strength. His teeth are white, small in size, and set evenly in the gums which are medium pink in color.
Altogether the Mercurian impresses you as well knit, agile, and strong, not always beautiful, but hsapely and well proportioned. The Mercurian is the quickest and most active of all the types, and this activity is not confined to his physical agility but applies to the mental as well. He is like a flach in his intuitive faculty, and enfoys everything which puts his quickness to either a mental or physical test. He is the personification of grace in his movements and is skilful in everything he undertakes. In all games he is proficient, and he plays with his head as well as his hands, winning because he plans his plays, and shrewdly estimates the ability of his opponent. In all athletic sports where dexterity and skill, rather than brute strength are needed, he is the victor. In argument he is at home, for no one has grreater facility of expression than he. This, added to the quickness with which he can grasp and turn asn opportunity to his account, brings him out ahead, if his side of the question his even a semblance of probability. He is especailly fond of oratory, and elopuence in any line strongly moves him. With his keenness and the power of expressing himself well, he is very tactful and adroit, thus making many friends by saying the right thing at the right time. As an ofter-dinner speaker he is a success, and in a battle of words or badinage is an opponent hard to overcome. One of the chief elements of the Mercurian's success, is his ability to judge human nature and character. he mentally estimates everyone
whom he meets, and uses his quick mind and tactful way to make a friend and accomplish what he wishes. He is adroit, crafty, and a contant schemer, using all his powers of shredness, intuition, and oratory to get himself through the world. He is a dnagerous person, you say. Verily he is, for not one of all the other types is for a moment his equal in diplomacy, craftiness, tact,
persuagiveness shrewdnes, or adroit methods of approach. This power makes him influenctial and if he is bad, much to be feared. He is a clever manager and well knows how to keep in the background and push forward some puppet to do his bidding. His power over men comes largely from the shrewsness with which he lays his plans, and the clever way in which he gets someone else to carry them out if necessary. he understnads humanity thorughly, and used this knowledge to his own advantage. He is not lazy; one of his prome elements is industy, conswquuently he loses no opportunites through napping but turns every hour to account.
He has a love for study, especially along line of scientific investigation. He is a born mathematician, and no prbplem is so intricate that he canmot solve it. He is, of all the types, the most successful as a physician, and in my observation of the medical profession, the men who have succeeded in attaining fame, and with it a lucrative practice, are Mercurian in their leading type, with the Jupiterian type second. The reverse is also a good combination, provided the Mercurian qualities are very strong.

MEDICAL STIGMATA
Numerous small verical lines on the Mount of Mercury, with the Mercury finger longer than noraml, or with the second phalanx long, will be a strong indication of talent for medical studies. This marking is to be found on the hands of prominent and successful doctors-. It is called the "Merical Stigmata". On the hand of a woman it shows great abitility as a nurse.
Energy, studiousness, scientific aptitude, combined with keenness in judging human nature, make the Merucian an excellent diagnostician and pracititioner.
He is also talented as an occult scientist, being able, with his shrewdness and keeness of perception, to master all the intriciacies of the intangible sciences. Thus the Mercurian is well adapted to these occult studes, but, as he is fond of money making, and bad Mercurians are conscienceless, we find the humbug clairvoyants and fortune-tellers all belonging to this type.
Having met a number of alleged palmist who alim to tell your name form the hand, and the names of friends, I have found them ALL specimens of the bad Mercurian type. and they have often admitted to me that they knew little about Plamistry, but resorted to sleight of hand tricks, together with their ability to judge human nature, in order to fool the public and get money from them.
These bad Mercurians, and the superficial knowlege of amateur palmists are responsible for the disfavor which in the minds of some people rests today on Palmistry. The Mercurian is a lover of that which is near to nature, consequently he admires horses, dogs, pictures of rreal life, natural scenery, or portraits. he is fond of reading, but it is not romance that attracts him so much as
books which are true to life, nature, and humanity. Dickens and, as a latter-day author Kipling, are favorites with Mercurians. Of all the type none is stronger in the business world than the Mercurian. He has shrewdness, diplomacy, tact, management, influence over people, judgment of human nature, energy, and power of expressing himself, all of which are the very strongest elements one could have for a successful business career.
No better illustration of the success of the Mercurian in the business world can be given than to point to the standing of the Hebrew reace in mercantile circles today, and to state that a very large percentage of this people are Mercurians. They are ingenious in their ways of planning new schems to make money, and oringianl in their manner of putting them into operation.
Mercurians are great imatators, and so clever that they can steal some other man's idea and pass it as their own. They make good actors and thier powers of mimicry and study of nature anable them to create on the stage lifelike and realistic characters. They make excellent lawyers, having the keenness, the fculty of seeing a question from its many sides, as well as a knowledge of the failings of humanity. To this add oratory, and it completes an excellent combination for a lawyer. They are excellent reachers, for their grasp of scientific knowledge, backed by an ability to say what they mean gives them a mastering in this field, and being judges of human nature, they know how best to reach each and every pupil.
The Mercurian, on his good side, is not vicious and criminal, he is only shrewd and keen. He is even tempered, loves children dearly, is devoted to his family and makes a constant friend. he is not in any degree a sensualist.
His pleasures are largely mental and, while he is fond of beauty and women, he is not an amorous type. He is nervous and restless, his mind is active and he likes to travel, for chaing acenery gives him the recreation and diversity that he needs. He is fond of nature, which appeals to him more strongly than anything artificial.

MARRIAGE
In themarriage relation the Mercurian is a match maker. he anjoys the society of his fellows, marries early in life, chooses one of his own age, and very often one of his type. He loves trim, neat, stylish women, full of fire and life, and no type furnishes these elements so well as his own. He is proud of his wile, lides to see her well dressed and makes a good husband, provided
the good side of the type.

HEALTH
In health the Mercurian is nervous; his quickness and energy speak in unmistakable terms of electric current which is coursing through his nervous system, stimulating it to great ctivity. This nervous energy preventys his being lazy, makes him love to travel, and this energy sometimes becomes excessive, so that you will find many Mercurian hands with fluted nails more or less pronouned in development.
Be on the lookout with this type for nervous trouble, which interferes with his liver so that he becomes bilious. His liver trouble differs from that of the Saturnian, for it disappears when the nervous trouble is relieved, as it is not structural difficulty as with the Saturnian. His olive complexion shows a tinge of bile; and stomach trouble, dyspepsia, and kindred disorders are often met. His activity tends to drive away these difficulties, and his system qyickly responds to treatment for them. If he has paralytic trouble it most often attacks his arms and upper extremities.

LINE OF MERCURY
It is often helpful to note the Line of Mercury with this type, for by its wavy or broken course it shows the extent of bilious and stomach trouble. The Mercurian is a healthy type, so we do not look first for ILLNESS with them, but for peculiar mental characteristics. They have their disorders, however, so be always on your guard that you do not overlook them.
I wish it were possible to say that all Mwecurians were good, but unfortunately this cannot be done. This second bilious type (Saturn being the first) produces members of the criminal fraternity which will be found in many penitentiaries and penal institutions, condemned for all manner of crimes. It also produces a class who have not yet reached the prisons, but
who deserve to, even more than many of those who have been convicted. There is very often an almost imperceptible line which marks the place where shrewdness in business ends and actual dishonesty begins, and the Mercurian seems ever near the line. His natural shrewdness makes it easy for him to outwit his fellowmen, and the the temptation for him to do so is great, often so great that he cannot resist it. The invisible line once crossed and the conscience being quieted, a second slip is easily made. Thus, inch by inch even a good Mercurian often degenerates from a sharp business man to a criminal, a liar, and a thief. When this class in engaged in bond speculations, or stock-jobbing enterprises, they are not often made ot pay for
their knavery by imprisonment; for they are keen enough always to have a loophole ready through which to crawl. When they are merchants, they simply cheat their customers with ease and facility, and talk so glibly that the customer does not realize it. These high-toned thieves have fine hands, but crooked fingers of Mercury, grilled Mount, or bars on the Mount, cold Head
lines, narrow quadrangles, and will often hide the hands form view, or will them in the Uriah Heep fashion. When a crooked finger of Mercury is seen on any hand the thought of UNUSUAL SHREWDNESS should at once come to the mind, and you should be on your guard and search for everything that will tell whether actual dishonety exists or not. hveing loacted a Mercurian subject, and finding a crooked finger of Mercury, by on your guard to investigate at once for actual dishonesty. This applies to whatever station in life your subject may occupy. It his position be high, you know htat the temptation to overstep the line of honesty has often been great even though it has been resisted. With this crooked finger AND OTHER SIGNS, feel sure that he will not resist very stubbornly.
The criminal type of mercurians are quick, sharp fellows small in staure with dark complexion, shifting, resltess eyes that either cammot face you squarely, or else look at you with a forced brazen stare. The hair is stright and stiff, seeming to lack vitality. They are vile and criminal wretches. Gypsies are Mercurians, and usually of the dishonest class who stop at nothing These bad types have crooked, warped fingers, twisted and bent inward, crooked, claw-like nails, grilled Mount, twisted finger of Mercury, bad or absent Heart line, cold head line, narrow quadrangle, high, stiff thumb, and often the first knot of theMerucyr finger developed. These are the band robbers pickpockets, sneak theives, confidence sharps, and dishonest ganblers, who run to all kinds of crime and are criminals pure and simple. These people are intensely superstitious.
Thus you will see the great diversity of the Mercurian type, - how good or how intensely eveil he may be. The first thing to do on finding a Mercurian subject is to decide to which class or grade he belongs, and what underlying forces he has. Then apply this knowledge to the side of type present, whether it be the oratorical, the scientific, the professional, business, or the
criminal.

TEXTURE OF SKIN
With this type note especially the pose of the hands; if he hides them, deceitfulness is indicated. The texure of the skin tells of refinement of coarseness. If you see had sings do not be misled by a fine testure of skin, for you must remember that there are villians who wear fine clothing as well as rags. It will tell that, if villainy be present, it will be consummate in its skill, and so keen and fine in operation that a subject can go for a lifetime and never be found out. If it is the scientist, the lawyer, the physicIan, or the business man that is before you, fine texture of skin will
tell of a refined nature that will operate in its special vocaction with refinement back of it. Coarse- textured skin tells that coarseness will operate, and no such perfection is possible as with fine texture. Expect coarse textured skin in low criminals.

CONSISTENCY OF HAND
The consistency of the hand will show the amount of energy, whether laziness and inertia or elastic vigor and inteligence are present. Flabby hands will ruin all hope of brilliant attainments, and fortunately these are not often found. Soft hands will indicate that there is something abnormal aobut you subject, ofr energy is a leading characteristic of the Mercurian type. To find any degree of laziness is unusual, and must be given full weight, as it will ruin the chances of success, wheter the subject be lawyer, doctor, scientist, busines man, or thief. Elastic consistency shows the normal condition and that the qulities of the subject will be hightly developed in whatever direction they may lead him. Hard hand will show a tendency toward coarsening the type. and the keenness natural to it will be lessened, as the brain back of the hard hand does not work so rapidly. Flexibility of the hands must ne noted, for it shows an additional elasticity
of the mind which makes these people brilliant aubjects. Flexibility will make the doctor keener in his power of diagnosis, more ready to keep up with new remedies, and gives the intuitive faculty which aids so powerfully in estimating his patient. Flexible hands on a lowyer make him unusually shrewd, brilliant, and able to devise many avenues of escape for his clients; and to
discover loopholes that a hard-handed lawyer could not see. The frexible hand on a business man makes him brilliant and keen, but likely to be an extremist and extravagent in conducting his business. The stiff hand will take away much of the dash and brilliancy of the type, and is not often found on the best developed speciments. Old fashioned ways and notions and stingy habits
are present when you find the stiff hand.

COLOR
The color of the khands will telll much about health and temperament. White is not often seen, for the Merucyran is not by nature cold. When whiteness is found, coldness added to his keenness and shrewd tendencies makes him very likely to be nad and cold hearted whatever his bvusiness. Pin color gives health, wasrmth, and vigor, which added to his keeness makes him a brilliant person. rEd color when present will add its pushing qualities to his already uick natue, making him a geat worker and a strong force in the community. Yellow color is often seen, for theMercurian inclines to be bilious. When found it will show a spoiled temper and that the subject will mor easily become bad and dishonest, his stomach will likely be out of order, and he
will be at cross purposes with his fellows.

NAILS
The nails must be examined, for if fluted they show that the nervousness which belongs to the type is making rapid headway. If brittle and bending back, the subject must be warnee to use his vital nergty sparingly. Blue nails will tell of defective circulation, and eillow that the irritating bile is poisoning his blood. Pink nails will tell of a sharp and healthy subject who is a match for most men, and who acts with reat quickness and shrewdness.
Short nails will show a critical turn of mind, and in argument of debate no point will be overlooked by this subject in his effort ot advance his side of the case. Broad nails will show a strong constitution, narrow nails delicacy, the medium being most often found.

HAIR
Hair on the hands will tell of the iron is his constitution. Black hair is most often to be seen, and is plentifully found on the hands of many Mercurians. It tells of the fire and vigor of health and the strong tendencies of the type. With black hair ther is the suspicion that these subjects have the keenness of the tupe in full measure, and the crooked finger is often seen. Light hair is not so often met with on this type, though sometimes seen. When found it makes them more phlegmatic and less volatile than with the black. REd hair gives added electric force to the already great quickness, and would lead to excess. Chestnut hair, which is a medium color, is often found, and tells of an evenly distributed set of Mercurian qualities.
The hand as a whole will tell in which world the subject is strongest, and with this type you nearly always find the middle or business world fully developed, for he is always a good money getter whether he be orator, doctor, lawyer, or business man. Note carefully if the apex of the Mount lies in the centre or it dosplace. If it is at the outside of the hand, toward the percussion, the subject will emply his aptitudes for his own advantage and be selfishly inclined. If the apex lies in the cnetre of the Mount you have the narmal development, and the subject will have true Mercurian ideas in whatever sphere in life he is placed. If the Mount leans toward Apollo, the love of art and beauty will be great, and he will give up part of his Mercurian qualities in order to enfoy htem, His life will be less dominated by the shrewdness of the type, and more given over to the Apollo instincts. If the apex is in the centre and the apices of the other Mount are pulled
toward Mercury, you will have a very strong Mercurian. The finger must be carefully noted. First, is it longer than the first knot of the finger of Apollo? If so, the subject is strongly Mercurian; shorter
than this is deficiency, in whatever degree the Mount and finger is lacking; if it should be crooked in addition to being long, the type becomes more pronounced, and you must look to grilles, Head line, Heart line, and quadrangle, and see if dishonesty has taken hold of the subject. If the finger is long, note which phalanx is the longest, for the three would are most marked in the Mercurian finger.

LENGTH OF PHALANX
If the first phalanx is very long the subject will have great powers of expression, amounting even to elopquence and oratorical ability. This will enble him to give expression to his ideas in writing, and thus it becomes a fine indication for a public speaker or writer. If the second phalanx phalanx is long it shows that the scientific side is strong, and he will make a good doctor, lawyer, or scientist. If the third phalanx is long the commercial side is prominent, and he will be an excellent merchant or business man in any capacity.

SECONDARY TYPE
Note which world of the secondary type is strongest, as this shows the backing the Mercurian aptidues will have. If the finer ofMercury is long, it may be found that two phalanges will be long and one short. This will show which worlds are strongest and which are deficient. As the Mercurian is a complex type, it will be only by this careful estimate of the finger that you
can properly estimate your subject.

FINGER TIPS
If the first phalanx of the Mercury finger be long, ability as a speaker is shown. If the tip be pointed, he will be able do draw on his imagination, will indulge flishts of fancy, and charm by his oratorical idealism. If the tip be conic he will be artistic and elopquent, with plenty of word painting and mental pictures. If the tipe be square he will talk on pactical subjects; common sense and feasom, facts and figures will be the forces be emplys, and logic is his talisman, especially if the second phalanx of the thumb bears this out. If the tip be spatulate be will be the magnestic speaker whose fiery oratory moves the masses with its vigor, originality, and strnegth, and he fairly carries his audience off their feet. If the second phalanx be longest and the tip pointed, the idealism of this tip will permeate his scientific reasearches. If with the long second phalanx the tip be square, common sense and practical ideas will rule him, and if spatulate he will be
active in his search for fresh discoveries in old sciences, and not satisfied to follow in the ruts made by others. If the third phalanx be longest and the tip conic or pointed, the idealism
and love of the artistic belonging to this tip will be linked with Mercurian business ability. If the tip be squate, then common sense and practical ideas along will operate, and the subject will be a true Mercurian business man who makes every dollar tell in his expense account, and who does not brook and foolishness in business matters, If the tipe be spatulate, then great
activity and energy will cause him to push business ventures without tiring, and the spatulate originality will enable him to devise new ways for making money. This is a very stong comination.

TYPE OF FINGERS
Knotty fingers will show that analysis and reason are strong in the subject. If the frist knot alone be developed, it will show order and system in his ideas. If the second alone be developed, he will be neat in personal appearance and in everything about him. With both knots he will have the analysis of the philosopher added to the Mercurian quickness and shredness. If this subject be an orator he will write his speeches and commit them; if he be a lawyer he reasoms out every case for his client. If a doctor he does not diagnose by intuition but by reasoning from cause to effect. If a business man he does everythng by a system, and after careful thought. Smooth fingers will add impulse and intuition to an already very quick subject, and with hes ability to read human nature he is unusually keen and intuitive. His estimates of those he meets are seldom wrong, and he should always trust to first impressions. He loves beauty and is artistic in all of
his ideas.

Long fingers show that the subject will go into the minutae of everything. If he be a speaker he will describe every detail of any subject on which he is talking. If he be a lawyer he will hunt every bit of testimony that can bear on his case.
If he be a doctor he does not neglect a detail in the teament of his patients, attends to diet, hegience, air in the room, and is everything most careful. As a business man he is constanly going over everything in his place of business. Not a thing escapes him, and no detail is omitted that can add to the result he wishes to accomplish, viz- money making. He adds the suspicion of long fingers to Mercuran suspicion, and the long fingered neatness to Mercurian tidiness; thus he is a most pronounced specimen. If he be a talker he is very tiresome.
Short fingers add their quickness and action to a subject already remarkably quick, consequently knots are needed on these fingers to reduce the quickness if it is not to be a positive menace. Impulse, inspiration, intuition, and a train of kindred qualities encompass the short fingered Mercurian, and he is volatile and spontaneous in the highest degree. The orator relies on the spur
of the moment for his material, the lawyer acts by inspiration and shrewsness, the doctor seems to diagnose by intuition, and does not always know why. They are correct in all these estimates, however, for which they must thank the Mercurian type. The short fingered business man at once makes up his mind as to the credit of a custmer, the honesty of an emplyee, or
whether his business cannot be improved by some change in methods. All of these quick ideas which flaxh into his mind he puts into immediate execution. With short fingers not the tips. Added quickness will be given by conic tips, and reduced by square or spatulate. The tips will also tell whether conic, square, or spatulate qulaities will operate.
The thumb if low set, will tell of afcanced mentality, if high set a decrease. By its size, whter head or heart will dominate, and by its shape whether a fine or coarse nature is present. The thumb of the Mercurian has a tnedency to be stiff, for he loves money, and while generous to his family and free to spend money for things that he enfoys, he does not do it with a
lavish hand. The first phalanx, by its length, tells of the power of will in the subject, whether he will carry out his schemes or merely plan and let them drop.