The evil eye. An account of this ancient and wide spread superstition

VII CHIRONOMY 235
remain permanent, to be recognised by all who know
him, so do the features—the shape, size, texture
and markings on his hands—continue permanent,
subject only to such changes as affect the features
of his countenance. This fact is so well established
by scientific research and record, that its results are
being now applied to the identification of criminals,
whose hands are carefully photographed or in other
ways portrayed, as well as their faces. It is even
proposed to apply the same method to the foot,
which is also found to be different in every in-
dividual from that of every other. Just as no
two faces are alike, so are no two people's hands
or feet.
The study of the hand as a quasi-science has of
late become almost a mania, and the books on
palmistry, or chiromancy, in all languages have
become legion. Upon the hand, however, as an
index of the life and character, we have no wish to
enlarge, but refer the curious reader to such works
as Shall I tellyou your Fortune, mypretty Maid? by
Mrs. John White, which the writer bought at a
railway bookstall for sixpence, and which is marked
" Twelfth Thousand " ; to Chiro7nanzia, Fisiologia
sulla Mano, Giulio Adrieu, Milano, 1884; Lira
Una ; or to the costly and elaborate compilations on
the subject, which have appeared at recent dates.
Indeed, so much has the fad of palmistry run riot,
that one of the " up to date " enterprising soap-boilers
has recently made use of it in a really clever puff
upon a great hand, as an advertisement in some of
the illustrated papers.
Our business, however, lies rather with the
sister - science Chironomy than with this. The