mental weakness or "brain illness," if found with nails showing very
small "moons" or none at all, denotes an anaemic condition of the blood
that affects the brain, a low condition of vitality and bad circulation,
which seems to starve the brain of blood and prevents such people from
making any continuous effort in regard to study or will power, and causes
them to act in an erratic fashion.

If at the same time the Line of Head is seen placed very high on the
hand, this sign is worse still in its meaning, and such subjects are
inclined to be "half mad" in periods.

When the Line of Head is widely separated from the Line of Life, then
this chain formation of islands is still more accentuated and more
difficult to cure. Such subjects have periods of mental excitability
which it seems impossible for them to control, and in such moments they
are liable to fly off at a tangent and commit mad or rash acts, but acts
generally dangerous to other people.

When, however, the Line of Head is very sloping (2-2, Plate IV.), with
this formation of islands the subject is inclined to have fits of
depression and melancholy, during which he is likely to shrink away from
people or make an attempt against his own life. "Suicide while
temporarily insane" is the verdict of the jury in such cases.

[Illustration: PLATE IV.

ISLANDS ON THE LINE OF HEAD.]

Another important point of consideration in relation to the islands in
the Line of Head, is to note their position on the line itself, or under
what finger they make their appearance. When these islands are found at
the commencement of the line under the first finger or Mount of Jupiter
(3, Plate IV.), it will be found that the subject in early life was
delicate mentally, and displayed no energy of will; no desire to study,
was listless and without ambition.

Under the second finger on the Mount of Saturn (4, Plate IV.), the
subject, on the contrary, is inclined to suffer from severe headaches,
morbidness, melancholy, and a tendency for inflammation, especially at
the base of the head.

If the line looks weak or frays into little hair lines from this point
out, it shows that the subject will never recover thoroughly from this
malady.

Under the third finger, the Mount of Sun (5, Plate IV.), an island shows
a very curious fact, namely that the person is inclined to suffer from
weakness of the eyes and short-sight. If many of these islands are marked
it generally foreshadows a still