ABSTRACT
No one doubts that every handwriting is characteristic of the person by whom it is written. Every person endowed even with a minimum of observation power is capable of recognising the handwriting of his acquaintances if has seen it a sufficient number of times. Even children distinguish the features of their comrades' writing, which at this early stage show only slight variations. The legal system in all five continents is based on the assumption of the identity of signature, and modern money transactions would be impossible if the least doubt existed that signatures could be disregarded in money transactions. But whereas everyone believes in the individuality of handwriting as in a natural fact, confirmed daily by his own experience, there are many doubt the possibility of drawing absolutely reliable conclusions concerning the character of the writer from his handwriting. All the objections against graphology that have ever been raised and supported are fully enumerated in the following six groups.
