medical palmistry

Palmistry with the purported goal of determining the condition of specific organs. An offshoot of fortunetelling, palmistry comprises chirognomy (cheirognomy) and chiromancy (cheiromancy). The foci of chirognomy are: (a) the overall shape of hands (the type of hand); (b) the shapes of fingers, nails, and palms; (c) the size of the mounts (cushions) of the palm; and (d) skin texture. Chiromancy centers on the lines of the palm. Palmists (also called "hand analysts") also examine the hands for other marks and for colors. Proponents use the terms "chiromancy," "hand analysis," "palmistry," and "palm-reading," interchangeably.