The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-04-01
IIu.

We coWo hOW tVthN uusstou u poTbthNouce,
WHISTLER or no the patterns are 20 durable IS to
AFFORD sure basis for idsntine cation. On this
crucial point tho evidence collected By Mr..
Gallon II accepted By him as conclusive II IL
true that the proportions OF the patterns are
not absolutely hxed. inasmuch as they change
with the shape Of the finger. According a. the
finger IL pumped out or emaciated, or va
riously deformed By usage. govt or age the
proportions OF the patterns will vary also.
Two prints OF the same finger. one taken be-
fore. another after. an interval Of many years.
cannot be expected to be ss closely alike as
two prints made from the same wood cut.
The measurements vary at different periods.
even In an adult. Just as much as his height
span. and the lengths OF his several limbs
On the other hand-and this Is the
capital discovery-the numerous bifurca-
lions. origins. islands. and enclosures in
the ridges that compose the pattern, are
proved to be almost beyond change.
To exemplify the difference between
proportions and patterns, q comparison is
made between the pattern on finger and one
on . piece OF lace; the latter may be stretched
or shrunk as whole. but tho threads OF which
It IL made retain their respective pecullarities
and inter-relationa The evidence on which
these conclusions are founded IL mainly de-
rived from the collections made BY Sir William
disposal They refer to one or more fingers.
and in q few instances to the whole hand. OF
fifteen different persons. The intervals before
and after which the prints were taken amounted
In some cases to thirty years. Some OF them
reach from babyhood to boyhood. some from
childhood to youth. some from youth to adj
vanced middle age. and one from middle life
to incipient old age. These four stages nearly
include the whole Of the ordinary life OF man.
Altogether Mr.. Cation has compared some 700
points OF reference in these couplets OF
Impressions. and only found q single In
stance OF discordance. in which q ridge
that was cleft in child became united in later
years In this book illustrations are given OF
Photographic engagements which include be-
tween them q total OF 157 pairs OF points Of
reference. all bearing distinctive mum erals to
facilitate com arison and to prove their un-
changeablsness. Reference Is made to an
other illustrated publication OF the author.
which raises the aggregate number OF points.
photographically compared. to $50. all OF which
experiments were successful with the single
exception above mentioned. Mr.. Gallon holds.
therefore. that the fact OF an almost complete
persistence In tho peeuliarities Of the patterns
formed by the ridges. from birth to death. may
now be considered as demonstrated. They
existed before birth and they persist after
death until effaced by decom position.
Achapter Is devoted to the atom pt to appraiss
tho evidential value OF finger prints by the
common laws Of probability. the author being
careful not to treat variations that are really
correlated as IL they we're independent With
out following Mr.. Gallon In detail through his
to some of which the m sthod OF
the binomial theoxem 10 applied. We will sim
ply state the general result, which 10 that. even
Il there should be failure OF evidence in few
nj q hA tfu NJ fxun 70 snln riafa
each. say. OF three fingers. ample enough evil
dence would be supplied By the remaining
points to avert any doubt that the two sets Of
prints were made by the same person. When
O close correspondence exists In respect to all
the ten dlgits the thsroughness OF the differ
entlation of each man from all the rest OF the
human species Is multiplied to an extent far
beyond the capacity Of the Imagination. There
can be. indeed. no doubt that the evidential
value Of Identity afforded by prints OF two or
three OF the fingers Is SO great as to render It
superiuous to seek confirmation elsewhere.
Nv.
Elsewhere Mr.. Gallon examines the fire.
nuency with which the various kinds Of pat
terms appear the differe mt digits OF the same
person. severally and In connection. The out
come OF this Inquiry establishes unex pected |
relationship and distinctions between differ |
ent fingers and between the two hands to |
whose origin there Is at present no clue. IL |
appears that digits on opposite hands. which |
bear the same name middle finger. third In |
ger. and so on. are more nearly related to- |
gethsr than digits bearing different names. In |
about the proportion Of three TO two. We |
earn. also. that OF all tho dieits none are SO |
nearly related as the middle finger to the adj |
accent ones As regards the question whether |
The patterns formed by the papllary ridges |
are trAnsmissible. Mr.. Gallon refrains from |
making definite deductions until further data |
are forthcoming. but he says that the results |
all testify TO the conspicuous effects |
of hersdity They also point he tells u.s. to |
he influence Of the mother being stronger
han that OF the father in the transmission of |
he patterns On the other hand. the author |
has been disappointed In his expectations
hat finger prints would prove Of use in indi-
,ating race and temperament lie had
thought that any hereditary peculiArities
would almost OF necessity vary in diff
erent races. and that so fundamental and en-
Turing feature as the finger markings must
n some way be correlated with temperament
Neither assumption turned out to be well
ounded. The races examined by Mr.. Gallon
we're English. Welsh. jews. and negroes. the
after from the territories Of the Royal Niger
company. He has also scrutinizsd . collsc-
ION OF IAbQuo pIlntb taken some twenty miles
inland from BiarritA He asserts as an APP
correct description. that English.
" slsh. Jews. negroes. and BAsaues may all be
poken OF As Identical In the character OF their
inger prints. the same familiar patterns ap-
Fearing In all OF them with much the same de-
Iree OF frequency; the differences between
Iroups OF different races being not larger than
hose that occasionally occur between groups
Il the same race 1t seems. however. that
he Jews have larger proportion OF Whorled
patterns than any other race We observe.
lsIt that considerable collections OF
niger prints Of persons belonging to
linsrsnt classes have been analysed. such
Is students in science and students in
rita. farm laborSrS. men OF much culture.
md the lowest idiots in London yet Mr.. Gal
on did not, As q nrSt approximation. ind any
eeidsd difference between their finger prints.
rhs pADillary ridges Of artists are not
more close and delicate than are those Of
nsn OF quite different stamp. All the evil