The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-08-30
NEW WAY TO IDENTIFY.
An Ingenious Writer Evolves a
Method That He Considers
Infallible.
The Finger Tips Preserve the Same
General Character Through
out Life.
Causes of Patterns in These Tips-Used by
a Magistrate in Bengal-Pattern
Prints.

According to that entertaining and inge-
NOUS writer, Mr.. Francis Gallon. an almost
infallible method of identifying human be-
ings has been developed. The proposed
method Is the examination and registration
of the marks upon finger tips, which Mr..
Cation explains in the current Nineteenth
Century. 1t would no doubt be a gain to
civilization to nave an infallible means of
Identification 1t would be of use in Grim
inal investigations. In those unfortunate
countries which require a severe passport
system it would be an invaluable adjunct
to such a system. In an age when people
are constantly emigrating it would be we'll
if they could leave at home in youth a clue
by which, on their return, after long years,
they might establish their claim 10 kinship
or property. Such a clue would also be q
sure protection against such impositions as
were attempted in the Tichborns case. 1t
would, Furthermore, serve to identify the
bodies of unknown persons, suicides, or the
victims of accidents.
The proposed method is based upon the
fact that the finger tips Of An individual
preserve the same general character through
life. Mr.. Cation describes very clearly the
peculiarities of the marks upon the finger
tips. In following his observations it is
only necessary to M ones own finger
tips, which, however, 1t is we'll to do with a
glass of lew power. The marks upon the
finger tips arc the mouths of Quota issuing
from the glands of perspiration. Such
ducts, of course, exist all over the body,
and the issues of these ducts are surrounded
by slight elevations of the skin. But there
is this difference between the ducts on the
inner surface of the hands and the soles of
the feet and those of other parts of the
body. In most parts of the body the ducts
are contained in separate elevations like
orators in isolated oones, but on the
inner surface of the hands and
ducts are contained in delicate
ridges which are like craters along the crest
of n mountain chain. 1t is the co~nvolutions
OF these ridges which form the patterns on
the finger tips. Ihe reason why patterns
exist on the hnger tips is to be found in ths
had no nail, the ridges would run directly
across tho finger mp to the very tip, just as
they do now below the nail. But the nail
interrupts their parallelism, forcing them
down on either sid of the finger. The
ridges, therefore, AS any one may sec, arc
very much arched at the tip, but the arch
become less and less in the direction of the
joint. This gradual transition. however,
Is usually interrupted by an in~terspuce
which is bounded by the 10 wermost arch
and the u%pperlnost straight line. There il
an independent system OF ducts within this
interspace.
This is the general form OF the patterns
on tho finger tips, but tho linea are accom-
panied by minute reculiarities which char
a~cterize the Individual. These are the
branchings of existing ridges and tho in
terpsllation Of new ones. Finger tips are
d~istinRuishsd by the general pattern aud
the minutim. These preserve the same