Section 21. (8) The Hand.
The physiognomy of the hand stands close to that of the face in
significance and is in some relations of even greater importance,
because the expression of the hand permits of no, or very slight,
simulation. A hand may be rendered finer or coarser, may be
rendered light or dark, the nails may be cared for or allowed to
develop into claws. The appearance of the hand may be altered,
but not its physiognomy or character. Whoever creases his face
in the same way for a thousand times finally retains the creases and
receives from them a determinate expression even if this does not
reveal his inner state; but whoever does the same thing a thousand
times with his hand does not thereby impress on it a means of identification.
The frequent Tartuffian rolling of the eyes finally gives the
face a pious or at least pietistic expression, but fold your hands in
daily prayer for years and nobody would discover it from them. It
seems, however, of little use to know that human hands can not be
disguised, if they are little or not at all differentiated; but as it
happens they are, next to the face, the most extremely and profoundly
differentiated of human organs; and a general law teaches
us that different effects are produced by different causes, and that
from the former the latter may be inferred. If then we observe
the infinite variety of the human hand we have to infer an equally
infinite variety of influences, and inasmuch as we cannot trace these
influences any further we must conclude that they are to be explained
causally by the infinite variety of psychical states.
Whoever studies the hand psychologically gains in the course of
time a great deal of faith in what the hand tells him. And finally he
doubts it only when chirognomy conflicts with physiognomy. If in
such cases it is observed that the hand is more likely to be correct than
the face, and that inferences from the hand more rarely show themselves
to be false, one is reminded of the dictum of Aristotle, "The hand is
the organ of organs, the instrument of instruments in the human
body." If this is correct, the favored instrument must be in the closest
kind of relation with the psyche of the owner, but if this relation exists
there must be an interaction also. If the hand contained merely its
physical structure, Newton would never have said, "Other evidence
lacking, the thumb would convince me of God's existence."
How far one ought to establish fundamental propositions in this
matter, I can not easily say. Perhaps it would be scientifically most
correct to be satisfied for the time with collecting the carefully and
keenly observed material and getting the anatomists, who are already
in need of material for professional investigations, to take the matter
up; in collecting photographs of hands belonging to persons whose
characters are well known and in getting a sufficient number of
properly equipped persons to make the collection. If we had enough
material to draw fundamental principles from, much that has been
asserted by Bell, Carus, D'Arpentigny, Allen, Gessmann, Liersch,
Landsberg,[1] etc., might
be proved and tested. But their statements
are still subject to contradiction because their fundamental principles
are not sufficient for the development of a system. Probably
nobody will doubt some of the more common statements; all will
grant with Winkelmann that a beautiful hand is in keeping with a
beautiful soul; or with Balzac that people of considerable intellect
have handsome hands, or in calling the hand man's second face.
But when specific co-ordinations of the hand are made these meet
with much doubt. So for example,
Esser
[2] calls the
elementary
hand essentially a work hand, the
motor essentially a masculine
hand, having less soul and refinement of character than will and
purposefulness. So again the
sensitive hand implies generally a
sanguine character, and the
psychic hand presents itself as the
possession of beautiful souls and noble spirits.
However true this classification may be, the establishment and
description of the various significatory signs is very difficult, especially
because the forms named rarely appear in clear and sharply
defined subdivisions. The boundaries are fluid, like the characters
themselves, and where the properties of one group pass almost
directly into the other, both description and recognition are difficult.
If, then, we can not depend upon a systematic, and at present
remote treatment, we still may depend on well-founded observations
which appear as reliable presuppositions in the light of their frequent
repetition.
Not essentially psychological but of importance for the criminalist
are the inferences we may draw from Herbert Spencer's assertion
that people whose ancestors have worked with their hands possess
heavy hands. Conversely, people whose ancestors have not worked
hard with their hands possess small and fine hands. Hence the
small delicate hands of Jews, the frequent perfection of form and
invariable smallness of the hands of Gypsies, who have inherited
their hands from high-cast Hindoos, and the so-called racial hands
of real aristocrats. That hard work, even tumbling, piano playing,
etc., should alter the form of a hand is self-evident, since muscles
grow stronger with practice and the skin becomes coarser and drawn
through friction, sharp wind and insufficient care. As is well known,
physical properties are hereditary and observable in any study of
races; is it any wonder that a skilled glance at a man's hand
may uncover a number of facts concerning the circumstances of his
life? Nobody doubts that there are raw, low, sensual, fat hands.
And who does not know the suffering, spiritual, refined, and delicate
hand? Hands cannot of course be described and distinguished
according to fixed classification, and no doubt Hellenbach was
right when he said, "Who can discover the cause of the magic
charm which lies in one out of a hundred thousand equally beautiful
hands?"
And this is remarkable because we are not fooled through a well
cared for, fine and elegant hand. Everybody, I might say, knows
the convincing quality that may lie in the enormous leathery fist
of a peasant. For that, too, is often harmoniously constructed,
nicely articulated, appears peaceful and trustworthy. We feel that
we have here to do with a man who is honest, who presents himself
and his business as they are, who holds fast to whatever he once
gets hold of, and who understands and is accustomed to make his
words impressive. And we gain this conviction, not only through
the evidence of honest labor, performed through years, but also
through the stability and determination of the form of his hands.
On the other hand, how often are we filled with distrust at the sight
of a carefully tended, pink and white hand of an elegant gentleman—
whether because we dislike its condition or its shape, or because the
form of the nails recalls an unpleasant memory, or because there is
something wrong about the arrangement of the fingers, or because of
some unknown reason. We are warned, and without being hypnotised,
regularly discover that the warning is justified. Certain
properties are sure to express themselves: coldness, prudence, hardness,
calm consideration, greed, are just as indubitable in the hand
as kindness, frankness, gentleness, and honesty.
The enchantment of many a feminine hand is easily felt. The
surrender, the softness, the concession, the refinement and honesty
of many a woman is so clear and open that it streams out, so to
speak, and is perceivable by the senses.
To explain all this, to classify it scientifically and to arrange it
serially, would be, nowadays at least, an unscientific enterprise.
These phenomena pass from body to body and are as reliable as
inexplicable. Who has never observed them, and although his
attention has been called to them, still has failed to notice them,
need not consider them, but persons believing in them must be
warned against exaggeration and haste. The one advice that can
be given is to study the language of the hand before officially ignoring
it; not to decide immediately upon the value of the observations
one is supposed to have made, but to handle them cautiously and
to test them with later experiences. It is of especial interest to trace
the movement of the hand, especially the fingers. I do not mean
those movements which are external, and co-ordinate with the movements
of the arm; those belong to mimicry. I mean those that
begin at the wrist and therefore occur in the hand only. For the
study of those movements the hand of childhood is of little use,
being altogether too untrained, unskilled, and neutral. It shows
most clearly the movement of the desire to possess, of catching hold
and drawing toward oneself, generally toward the mouth, as does the
suckling child its mother's breast. This movement, Darwin has
observed even among kittens.
The masculine hand is generally too heavy and slow, clearly to
exhibit the more refined movements; these are fully developed only
in the feminine, particularly in the hands of vivacious, nervous, and
spiritually excitable women. The justice who observes them may
read more than he can in their owner's words. The hand lies in
the lap apparently inert, but the otherwise well concealed anger
slowly makes a fist of it, or the fingers bend characteristically forward
as if they wished to scratch somebody's eyes out. Or they
cramp together in deep pain, or the balls of the four other fingers
pass with pleasure over the ball of the thumb, or they move spasmodically,
nervously, impatiently and fearfully, or they open and
close with characteristic enjoyment like the paws of cats when the
latter feel quite spry.
Closer observation will show that toes reveal a great deal,
particularly
among women who wear rather fine shoes and hence can
move their feet with greater ease. In anger, when they cannot,
because it would be suggestive, stamp their feet, the women press
their toes closely to the ground. If they are embarrassed they turn
the sole of their shoe slightly inwards and make small curves with
the point on the ground. Impatience shows itself through alternating
and swinging pressure of heel and toe, repeated with increasing
rapidity; defiance and demand through raising the toes in such a
way that the sole is directly forward and the foot rests only on the
heel. Sensuality is always indicated when the foot is put forward
and the shin bone lightly stretched out, when all the toes are drawn
in toward the sole just as the cat does when she feels good. What
women do not say in words and do not express in their features
and do not indicate in the movement of their hands, they say with
their feet; the inner experience must express itself externally and
the foot most betrays it.
In conclusion it ought to be kept in mind that the hands of all
those people who claim to be hard workers but who really try to
live without work, i. e. thieves, gamblers, etc., ought to be carefully
examined. Concerning the value of graphology see my "Manual
for Examining Judges."
[[ id="n21.1"]]
C. Bell: The Human Hand. London 1865.
K. G. Carus: Über Grund u. Bedeutung der verschiedenen Hand. Stuttgart
1864.
D'Arpentigny: La Chirognomie. Paris 1843.
Allen. Manual of Cheirosophy. London 1885.
Gessman: Die Männerhand, Die Frauenhand, Die Kinderhand. Berlin
1892, 1893, 1894.
Liersch. Die linke Hand. Berlin 1893.
J. Landsberg: Die Wahrsagekunst aus der Menschlichen Gestalt. Berlin 1895.
[[ id="n21.2"]]
W. Esser: Psychologie. Münster 1854.