This will materially assist the student to comprehend their significance and, together with the influence of the month of birth as set out in the chapters on the Mounts of the Hand (page 140), will enable him to obtain an accuracy on all matters relating to health, diseases, and dangers to the life that up till now has never been attained.
We will now proceed to consider the details as regards the Line of Life itself.
THE LINE OF LIFE It is very important at the outset to consider the qualities of this very important line.

In some hands it is broad and shallow on the surface of the hand, in others it is deep and fine; the appearance of this line is very often deceptive, and leads students astray when they have not had their attention called to its appearance.
The broad, shallow Line of Life often leads people to suppose that it is a sign of a very healthy, robust constitution; but, on the contrary, such an indication is not nearly as good a sign as a clear, thin, deep line.
The broad Life Line seems to belong to people who have more robust animal strength, whereas the finer line relates to people who have more nerve or will-force.

Under any strain of ill-health, it is the finer line that will hold out, whereas the broad-looking line has not the same resisting force.
Very broad lines on the hand denote more muscular strength than will power, and I cannot impress this difference too strongly on the minds of my readers.

If the line is made of chain formation (1-1, Plate IX.), it is a sure sign of a tendency to bad health, and especially so if the hand be soft.

The same marks on a hard, firm hand would not indicate as much delicacy, because hard, firm hands denote in themselves a robust constitution.
Another important point to consider is, whether the Line of Life goes straight up to the side of the Mount of Venus and narrows that Mount (2-2, Plate IX.), or whether it forms a well-defined curve or semicircle out into the palm (3-3, Plate IX.).