ADVICE TO THE STUDENT. THE BEST MEANS TO MAKE CASTS OR TAKE IMPRESSIONS OF THE HANDS  
I would strongly advise students of this subject to make casts of hands in plaster of Paris, wax, or any other suitable material, in order to make a library or collection, both for their own private study, and also as a valuable record of their work.
 
Before I read any hands professionally, I had some thousands of casts, impressions on paper, and photographs of hands in my possession, and I found that I derived the most valuable aid from being able to analyse and study their shapes and markings at my leisure.
 
In making casts I would advise the very finest plaster of Paris to be used. When the plaster is worked up to the proper consistency, it is necessary to rub a fine oil into the hand before bringing it into contact with the plaster, as otherwise the hair may stick and so cause trouble and annoyance.
 
Dental wax heated in hot water and made very soft is also an excellent material to make moulds from, especially as it does not make a mess, and is very little trouble to employ.
 
The great disadvantage of making a collection of casts arises from the large space that such a collection[Pg 179] will eventually occupy. To avoid this the student can also make a library of impressions of hands on paper, and keep them marked and numbered in a series of albums or scrap-books that may easily be obtained at any stationer's.
 
The best means of taking these impressions is to obtain a small gelatine roller used by printers for fine work, such as die stamping, a tube of printer's i............