CHAPTER XIII

 ADVICE TO THE STUDENT. THE BEST MEANS TO MAKE CASTS OR TAKE IMPRESSIONS OF THE HANDS

 

I would strongly advise students of this subject to make casts of hands in plaster¹ of Paris, wax, or any other suitable material, in order to make a library or collection, both for their own private study, and also as a valuable record of their work.

 

Before I read any hands professionally, I had some thousands of casts, impressions on paper, and photographs of hands in my possession, and I found that I derived² the most valuable aid from being able to analyse and study their shapes and markings at my leisure.

 

In making casts I would advise the very finest plaster of Paris to be used. When the plaster is worked up to the proper consistency³, it is necessary to rub a fine oil into the hand before bringing it into contact with the plaster, as otherwise the hair may stick and so cause trouble and annoyance⁴.

 

Dental wax heated in hot water and made very soft is also an excellent material to make moulds from, especially as it does not make a mess, and is very little trouble to employ.

 

The great disadvantage of making a collection of casts arises from the large space that such a collection[Pg 179] will eventually occupy. To avoid this the student can also make a library of impressions of hands on paper, and keep them marked and numbered in a series of albums or scrap-books that may easily be obtained at any stationer's.

 

The best means of taking these impressions is to obtain a small gelatine roller used by printers for fine work, such as die stamping, a tube of printer's ink, and a small sheet of glass to roll the ink out until it covers the surface of the roller in an even way.

 

The roller may then be passed over the surface of the palm, the hand pressed firmly down on a smooth sheet of white paper, and with a little practice, most excellent impressions can easily be obtained.

 

When the impression is dry it can be dated, numbered, and placed in an album for reference⁵.

 

In order to remove the black ink from the hand, powdered washing soap, well brushed into the hand with a nail brush, and a little hot water is all that will be found necessary.

 

These impressions taken with printer's ink are far better than those taken by smoking a sheet of paper by camphor, or by a candle, or any other means.

 

The best time for examining hands is during the day, first because the light is better and, above all, because the circulation⁶ of the blood does not redden the entire palm as it does at night, and the finer lines can consequently easily be detected.

 

As I described earlier in these pages, the right and left hands should be examined together to note what difference there may be in the shape and position of the lines, but the markings on the right hand are the only ones to be relied on.

 

Lastly, do not be for ever on the lookout⁷ for faults[Pg 180] and failings in the subject whose hands you may be examining, remember no one is perfect, and that faults and failings may in the end be as stepping stones "by which we rise from our dead selves to higher things."

The End

1 plaster   

n.石膏，灰泥，膏药；v.涂以灰泥，敷以膏药，使...平

参考例句：

• He mixed up some plaster to repair the wall.他和了一些灰泥去补墙。
• She applied the plaster on his shoulder.她将膏药贴在他的膀子上。

2 derived   

vi.起源；由来；衍生；导出v.得到( derive的过去式和过去分词 )；（从…中）得到获得；源于；（从…中）提取

参考例句：

• Many English words are derived from Latin and Greek. 英语很多词源出于拉丁文和希腊文。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He derived his enthusiasm for literature from his father. 他对文学的爱好是受他父亲的影响。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 consistency   

n.一贯性，前后一致，稳定性；(液体的)浓度

参考例句：

• Your behaviour lacks consistency.你的行为缺乏一贯性。
• We appreciate the consistency and stability in China and in Chinese politics.我们赞赏中国及其政策的连续性和稳定性。

4 annoyance   

n.恼怒，生气，烦恼

参考例句：

• Why do you always take your annoyance out on me?为什么你不高兴时总是对我出气？
• I felt annoyance at being teased.我恼恨别人取笑我。

5 reference   

n.提到，说到，暗示，查看，查阅

参考例句：

• We spent days going through all related reference material.我们花了好多天功夫查阅所有有关的参考资料。
• I like to have my reference books within my reach.我喜欢把参考书放到伸手可取的地方。

6 circulation   

n.循环，流通，传播，发行，发行量

参考例句：

• There is a large circulation in the musical public.在音乐界销路很广。
• The ideas have been in circulation for some time.这些想法已经流行了一段时间。

7 lookout   

n.注意，前途，瞭望台

参考例句：

• You can see everything around from the lookout.从了望台上你可以看清周围的一切。
• It's a bad lookout for the company if interest rates don't come down.如果利率降不下来，公司的前景可就不妙了。