When the first part of the little line (taking it upward from the Line of Marriage) is marked with a small "island," such a child will be very delicate in its early life, but if the line appears well marked when the "island" is passed, the probability is that it will grow up strong and healthy. When ending or broken at the "island" the child will never grow up.
When one line stands out very clear and distinct among the others, the child the mark indicates will be more to the parent, and will be more successful than any of the others.
To know the number of children anyone will have, it is necessary to count these lines from the outside of the hand in towards the palm.
A person with the Mount of Venus very flat on the hand, and very poorly developed, is not likely to have any children at all, and this is all the more certain if the first Bracelet is found rising up like an arch into or towards the palm (see page [91]).
CHAPTER X
THE LINE OF HEALTH OR THE HEPATICA
There has been very considerable discussion among students of this subject as to the part of the hand on which the Line of Health (1-1, [Plate XIX].) commences.
My own theory, and one that I have proved by over twenty-five years' experience and also watching its growth on the hands of children, is, that it rises at the base of or on the face of the Mount of Mercury, and as it grows across the hand and attacks the Line of Life, it foreshadows the development of illness or germ of disease, which, at the date of its coming in contact with the Line of Life, will reach the climax of its attack.
The Line of Life, it must be remembered, merely relates to the promised length of life from heredity and natural causes, but the Line of Health denotes the effect of the class of life the subject has led. Where these two lines come together, if one is of equal strength to the other, will be the date of death, even though the Line of Life should pass this point and appear to be a much greater length (2, [Plate XIX].).