PART II—CHEIROGNOMY CHAPTER I

 THE STUDY OF THE SHAPE OF THE HAND

 

We now leave the domain¹ of what must be considered Palmistry, the study of the Lines of the Palm—or Cheiromancy, as it was called by the Greeks from the word χεíρ, the hand, and proceed to consider the meanings that can be derived² from the shapes of the hands, fingers, etc., which is called Cheirognomy.

 

These two studies may be taken up separately, but by a knowledge of both the student will be doubly armed, especially in the reading of character.

 

To a judge of horseflesh the limbs of the horse give him such a fund of information as to the animals' breed, training, etc., that it enables him to draw conclusions that he could not otherwise obtain.

 

In the same way the shape of the hand gives an enormous wealth of information as to breed and peculiarities³ of human beings.

 

In a book of this nature I shall be able to give only[Pg 118] the leading traits denoted by each type, but if readers wish to carry out this study further, I must refer them to my larger works on the subject, in which the shapes of the hands are described in the fullest detail.

 

The most casual observation of character as shown by the formation of hands will soon convince any person of the value of this study. Even in itself it possesses the most far-reaching possibilities in helping⁴ to a clear understanding of the difference that exists in races, their various blends of types, that have now spread themselves by intermarriage and travel over the surface of the earth.

 

For example, the difference in the shape of the hands of the French and German or the French and English races would convince any thinking person that temperament⁵ and disposition⁶ are indeed largely indicated by the shape of the hand itself.

 

It is even a remarkable⁷ thing that though work and exercise may enlarge and broaden the hand, yet the type to which it belongs is never destroyed, but can be easily detected by anyone who has made a study of such matters.

 

The Seven Types or Shapes of Hands are as follows:

 

(1) The Elementary—or lowest type.

(2) The Square—or the useful hand.

(3) The Spatulate—or nervous active type.

(4) The Philosophic⁹—or jointed¹¹ hand.

(5) The Conic—or the artistic¹² type.

(6) The Psychic¹³—or the idealistic hand.

(7) The Mixed Hand.

[Pg 119]

 

THE SEVEN TYPES OF HANDS

 

THE ELEMENTARY

 

As its name implies, the Elementary is the lowest type of all. It is just a little above the brute¹⁴ creation. This type is extremely short (Plate I., Part II.), thick set and brutal¹⁵-looking. In passing I must draw the reader's attention to the fact that the shorter and thicker the hand is, the nearer the person is to the animal.

 

In examining this type one can therefore only expect to find it the expression of all that is coarse, brutal, and animal.

 

People having such hands naturally have very little mental development or ability. They are found engaged in occupations requiring only unskilled labour and the very lowest even of that.

 

They are violent in temper, and have little or no control over their passions or their anger. They are coarse in their ideas, possess little or no sentiment, no imagination or feeling, and it has been found that even the nerve system of such types is more or less in a state of non-development. They do not feel pain as the higher types of humanity feel it, and have little ambition except to eat, drink, and sleep.

 

Note.—The thumb is extremely short and low-set with the Elementary type.

 

[Pg 120]

 

 

Plate I.—Part II. Fig¹⁶. 1—THE ELEMENTARY HAND. Fig. 2—THE SQUARE OR USEFUL HAND. Fig. 3—THE SPATULATE HAND. Fig. 4—THE PHILOSOPHIC HAND. Fig. 1—THE ELEMENTARY HAND.

Fig. 2—THE SQUARE OR USEFUL HAND. Fig. 3—THE SPATULATE HAND.

Fig. 4—THE PHILOSOPHIC HAND.

Plate I.—Part II.

THE SQUARE TYPE

 

The Square type (Plate I., Part II.,) is so designated on account of the palm being like a square in shape, or at least nearly so. Such a hand in fact "looks square."[Pg 121] It is rather straight or even at the wrist, at the base of the fingers, and also at the sides. The fingers themselves also have a "square-cut" appearance. The thumb is, however, nearly always long, well-shaped, and set high on the palm, and stands well out from the palm.

 

The Square Hand is also called the practical or useful hand. People who possess this type are essentially¹⁷ practical, logical, and rather materialistic¹⁸. They belong to the earth and the things of the earth. They have little imagination or idealism, they are solid, serious workers, methodical and painstaking¹⁹ in all they do. They believe in things only by proof and by their reason. They are often religious and even superstitious²⁰, but more from habit than from anything else.

 

They are determined²¹ and obstinate²², especially if their thumbs are long and the first joint¹⁰ stiff.[7]

 

[7] See Chapter on Thumbs, page 127.

 

They succeed in all lines of work that do not require imagination or the creative faculties²³, and as business men, lawyers, doctors, scientists, they do extremely well, and are generally to be found in such callings.

 

THE SPATULATE HAND

 

The Spatulate or active nervous type (Plate I., Part II.) is usually crooked²⁴ or irregular looking, with large tips or pads at the ends of the fingers, rather like the spatula⁸ chemists use and from which peculiarity²⁵ this type gets its name. The people who possess this type are in fact always "pounding" at something. They are full of untiring energy, enormous workers in[Pg 122] everything they take up, and generally remarkable for their originality²⁶.

 

They are not built on the hard set square lines of the former type. These persons have enormous imagination, their creative faculties largely developed. They are inventive, unconventional, emotional, demonstrative, and in fact the complete opposite in character to the class who possesses the square type of hand.

 

The Spatulate type has also the palm irregular in shape. It may be wider at the base of the fingers than at the wrist, or it may be found vice²⁷ versa.

 

In the first case they are then more practical in their work and views and less impulsive²⁸. With the larger development at the wrist, they are more carried away with their impulses, hasty and impetuous in temper, speech, and action.

 

THE PHILOSOPHIC HAND

 

The Philosophic Hand (Plate I., Part II.) received this name from the Greek φιλοσ—love, and σοφιχ—wisdom. When the Greeks made a study of hands they noticed that all those persons who possessed²⁹ this type had a bent³⁰ for philosophy in their blood that nothing could eradicate³¹.

 

 

Plate II.— Part II. Fig. 1.—THE CONIC OR ARTISTIC HAND. Fig. 2.—THE PSYCHIC OR IDEALISTIC HAND. Fig. 3.—THE MIXED HAND. Fig. 1.—THE CONIC OR ARTISTIC HAND.

Fig. 2.—THE PSYCHIC OR IDEALISTIC HAND.

Fig. 3.—THE MIXED HAND.

Plate II.— Part II.

The Philosophic Hand is long, bony, and angular with knotty³² joints³³, and is as a general rule fairly thin. People with this type of hand are always studious. They are great readers and usually have a strong tendency towards literature. They love sedentary work, and have a somewhat lonely, ascetic³⁴ disposition. Perhaps on account of this quality they are very often found in church-life, or largely associated with religious movements. The monks³⁵ of old, I mean those who[Pg 124][Pg 123] compiled those wonderful manuscripts on doctrine³⁶, science, art, alchemy, and occult matters, all had this class of hand. In our modern times this type may be easily recognised, and the qualities it expresses remain the same even in the age of money-getting and machinery³⁷.

 

It is, however, more usual nowadays to find a slight modification³⁸ of the true philosophic hand in that of the hand with the palm square and with the fingers only belonging to the philosophic type. In such cases the practical nature is a basis or foundation on which the studious mind builds its theories, its religion, its literary achievements, or its scientific researches.

 

As a rule the Line of Head on such hands is rather sloping, but it may also be found almost straight, and when it is, a more "level-headed" disposition will make more practical use of the studious nature. But speaking generally, people with this type of hand rarely accumulate as much wealth as those possessing the Square Hand.

 

The knotted or jointed fingers give carefulness and detail in work or study. They arrest the impulse of the brain, and so acquire time for thought and reflection.

 

The Philosophic Hand is one of the highest developments of the mental side of the human family.

 

THE CONIC OR ARTISTIC HAND

 

The Conic, also called the Artistic, Hand (Plate II., Part II.), is always graceful³⁹ looking, with the fingers tapering⁴⁰ and pointed⁴¹. It has, not only on account of its appearance but also because of the qualities it represents, been called the Artistic Hand.[Pg 125]

 

Its possessor may not always paint pictures or design beautiful things, but he will have the emotional, artistic temperament, which loves beautiful surroundings, and is most sensitive to colour, music, and all the fine arts. It largely depends on the kind of Head Line and the will power shown by it, to determine whether its owner will develop the natural artistic temperament that he or she possesses.

 

Such hands being generally full, fleshy, or soft, there is always a decidedly pronounced indolence in the nature which, if not overcome, combats the hard work necessary to achieve any real result. All very emotional people have more or less the characteristics of this type, but great numbers simply squander⁴² their time in the appreciation⁴³ of art, rather than in making the effort in themselves to create it.

 

The harder and firmer this type of hand is, the more likely it is to find that its possessor will really make something out of his artistic temperament.

 

THE PSYCHIC OR IDEALISTIC HAND

 

This type (Plate II., Part II.), may in many ways be considered as the highest development of the hand on the purely⁴⁴ mental plane, but from a worldly standpoint it is the least successful of all. Its possessors live in a world of dreams and ideals. They know little or nothing about the practical or purely material side of existence, and when they have to earn their own bread they gain so little that they usually starve.

 

These beautiful hands do not appear made for work in any sense. They are also too spiritual and frail⁴⁵ to deal blows and hold their own in the battle of life. If they are supported by others, or have money[Pg 126] of their own to live on, all may be well, and in such cases they will be likely to develop strange psychic gifts dealing⁴⁶ with visions and ideals that some few may hear and understand. But if not, their fate as a rule is a sad one, they will easily be pushed aside by the rougher types of humanity or, in sheer helplessness, take their own lives, and so end the unequal struggle.

 

In constitution they are seldom strong physically⁴⁷, and consequently they are doubly unfitted for the struggle for existence.

 

THE MIXED HAND

 

What is called the "Mixed Hand" (Plate II., Part II.), is an aggregation⁴⁸ of all the types, or at least, some of them.

 

It is very often found having all the fingers different from one another, as for example one pointed, one square, or spatulate, and so on. Or sometimes the palm may be of one type, say spatulate, with all the fingers mixed.

 

Such persons are always versatility⁴⁹ itself, but so changeable in purpose that they rarely succeed in making much out of any talents they may possess. They can generally do a little of everything but nothing well. They can talk on any subject that may crop up, but never impress their listeners with depth of thought on any subject.

 

It is only when the Line of Head is found on such hands clear and straight that there is a likelihood of these persons developing some one talent out of the versatility that this type gives.

1 domain   

n.(活动等)领域，范围；领地，势力范围

参考例句：

• This information should be in the public domain.这一消息应该为公众所知。
• This question comes into the domain of philosophy.这一问题属于哲学范畴。

2 derived   

vi.起源；由来；衍生；导出v.得到( derive的过去式和过去分词 )；（从…中）得到获得；源于；（从…中）提取

参考例句：

• Many English words are derived from Latin and Greek. 英语很多词源出于拉丁文和希腊文。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He derived his enthusiasm for literature from his father. 他对文学的爱好是受他父亲的影响。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 peculiarities   

n. 特质, 特性, 怪癖, 古怪

参考例句：

• the cultural peculiarities of the English 英国人的文化特点
• He used to mimic speech peculiarities of another. 他过去总是模仿别人讲话的特点。

4 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

5 temperament   

n.气质，性格，性情

参考例句：

• The analysis of what kind of temperament you possess is vital.分析一下你有什么样的气质是十分重要的。
• Success often depends on temperament.成功常常取决于一个人的性格。

6 disposition   

n.性情，性格；意向，倾向；排列，部署

参考例句：

• He has made a good disposition of his property.他已对财产作了妥善处理。
• He has a cheerful disposition.他性情开朗。

7 remarkable   

adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的

参考例句：

• She has made remarkable headway in her writing skills.她在写作技巧方面有了长足进步。
• These cars are remarkable for the quietness of their engines.这些汽车因发动机没有噪音而不同凡响。

8 spatula   

n.抹刀

参考例句：

• He scraped the mixture out of the bowl with a plastic spatula.他用塑料铲把盆里的混合料刮了出来。
• She levelled the surface of the cake mixtured with a metal spatula.她用金属铲抹平了蛋糕配料。

9 philosophic   

adj.哲学的，贤明的

参考例句：

• It was a most philosophic and jesuitical motorman.这是个十分善辩且狡猾的司机。
• The Irish are a philosophic as well as a practical race.爱尔兰人是既重实际又善于思想的民族。

10 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

11 jointed   

有接缝的

参考例句：

• To embrace her was like embracing a jointed wooden image. 若是拥抱她，那感觉活像拥抱一块木疙瘩。 来自英汉文学
• It is possible to devise corresponding systematic procedures for rigid jointed frames. 推导出适合于钢架的类似步骤也是可能的。

12 artistic   

adj.艺术(家)的，美术(家)的；善于艺术创作的

参考例句：

• The picture on this screen is a good artistic work.这屏风上的画是件很好的艺术品。
• These artistic handicrafts are very popular with foreign friends.外国朋友很喜欢这些美术工艺品。

13 psychic   

n.对超自然力敏感的人；adj.有超自然力的

参考例句：

• Some people are said to have psychic powers.据说有些人有通灵的能力。
• She claims to be psychic and to be able to foretell the future.她自称有特异功能，能预知未来。

14 brute   

n.野兽，兽性

参考例句：

• The aggressor troops are not many degrees removed from the brute.侵略军简直象一群野兽。
• That dog is a dangerous brute.It bites people.那条狗是危险的畜牲，它咬人。

15 brutal   

adj.残忍的，野蛮的，不讲理的

参考例句：

• She has to face the brutal reality.她不得不去面对冷酷的现实。
• They're brutal people behind their civilised veneer.他们表面上温文有礼，骨子里却是野蛮残忍。

16 fig   

n.无花果(树)

参考例句：

• The doctor finished the fig he had been eating and selected another.这位医生吃完了嘴里的无花果，又挑了一个。
• You can't find a person who doesn't know fig in the United States.你找不到任何一个在美国的人不知道无花果的。

17 essentially   

adv.本质上，实质上，基本上

参考例句：

• Really great men are essentially modest.真正的伟人大都很谦虚。
• She is an essentially selfish person.她本质上是个自私自利的人。

18 materialistic   

a.唯物主义的，物质享乐主义的

参考例句：

• She made him both soft and materialistic. 她把他变成女性化而又实际化。
• Materialistic dialectics is an important part of constituting Marxism. 唯物辩证法是马克思主义的重要组成部分。

19 painstaking   

adj.苦干的；艰苦的，费力的，刻苦的

参考例句：

• She is not very clever but she is painstaking.她并不很聪明，但肯下苦功夫。
• Through years of our painstaking efforts,we have at last achieved what we have today.大家经过多少年的努力，才取得今天的成绩。

20 superstitious   

adj.迷信的

参考例句：

• They aim to deliver the people who are in bondage to superstitious belief.他们的目的在于解脱那些受迷信束缚的人。
• These superstitious practices should be abolished as soon as possible.这些迷信做法应尽早取消。

21 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

22 obstinate   

adj.顽固的，倔强的，不易屈服的，较难治愈的

参考例句：

• She's too obstinate to let anyone help her.她太倔强了，不会让任何人帮她的。
• The trader was obstinate in the negotiation.这个商人在谈判中拗强固执。

23 faculties   

n.能力( faculty的名词复数 )；全体教职员；技巧；院

参考例句：

• Although he's ninety, his mental faculties remain unimpaired. 他虽年届九旬，但头脑仍然清晰。
• All your faculties have come into play in your work. 在你的工作中，你的全部才能已起到了作用。 来自《简明英汉词典》

24 crooked   

adj.弯曲的；不诚实的，狡猾的，不正当的

参考例句：

• He crooked a finger to tell us to go over to him.他弯了弯手指，示意我们到他那儿去。
• You have to drive slowly on these crooked country roads.在这些弯弯曲曲的乡间小路上你得慢慢开车。

25 peculiarity   

n.独特性，特色；特殊的东西；怪癖

参考例句：

• Each country has its own peculiarity.每个国家都有自己的独特之处。
• The peculiarity of this shop is its day and nigth service.这家商店的特点是昼夜服务。

26 originality   

n.创造力，独创性；新颖

参考例句：

• The name of the game in pop music is originality.流行音乐的本质是独创性。
• He displayed an originality amounting almost to genius.他显示出近乎天才的创造性。

27 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

28 impulsive   

adj.冲动的，刺激的；有推动力的

参考例句：

• She is impulsive in her actions.她的行为常出于冲动。
• He was neither an impulsive nor an emotional man,but a very honest and sincere one.他不是个一冲动就鲁莽行事的人，也不多愁善感.他为人十分正直、诚恳。

29 possessed   

adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的

参考例句：

• He flew out of the room like a man possessed.他像着了魔似地猛然冲出房门。
• He behaved like someone possessed.他行为举止像是魔怔了。

30 bent   

n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的

参考例句：

• He was fully bent upon the project.他一心扑在这项计划上。
• We bent over backward to help them.我们尽了最大努力帮助他们。

31 eradicate   

v.根除，消灭，杜绝

参考例句：

• These insects are very difficult to eradicate.这些昆虫很难根除。
• They are already battling to eradicate illnesses such as malaria and tetanus.他们已经在努力消灭疟疾、破伤风等疾病。

32 knotty   

adj.有结的，多节的，多瘤的，棘手的

参考例句：

• Under his leadership,many knotty problems were smoothly solved.在他的领导下，许多伤脑筋的问题都迎刃而解。
• She met with a lot of knotty problems.她碰上了许多棘手的问题。

33 joints   

接头( joint的名词复数 )； 关节； 公共场所（尤指价格低廉的饮食和娱乐场所） （非正式）； 一块烤肉 （英式英语）

参考例句：

• Expansion joints of various kinds are fitted on gas mains. 各种各样的伸缩接头被安装在煤气的总管道上了。
• Expansion joints of various kinds are fitted on steam pipes. 各种各样的伸缩接头被安装在蒸气管道上了。

34 ascetic   

adj.禁欲的；严肃的

参考例句：

• The hermit followed an ascetic life-style.这个隐士过的是苦行生活。
• This is achieved by strict celibacy and ascetic practices.这要通过严厉的独身生活和禁欲修行而达到。

35 monks   

n.修道士，僧侣( monk的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The monks lived a very ascetic life. 僧侣过着很清苦的生活。
• He had been trained rigorously by the monks. 他接受过修道士的严格训练。 来自《简明英汉词典》

36 doctrine   

n.教义；主义；学说

参考例句：

• He was impelled to proclaim his doctrine.他不得不宣扬他的教义。
• The council met to consider changes to doctrine.宗教议会开会考虑更改教义。

37 machinery   

n.(总称)机械，机器；机构

参考例句：

• Has the machinery been put up ready for the broadcast?广播器材安装完毕了吗？
• Machinery ought to be well maintained all the time.机器应该随时注意维护。

38 modification   

n.修改，改进，缓和，减轻

参考例句：

• The law,in its present form,is unjust;it needs modification.现行的法律是不公正的，它需要修改。
• The design requires considerable modification.这个设计需要作大的修改。

39 graceful   

adj.优美的，优雅的；得体的

参考例句：

• His movements on the parallel bars were very graceful.他的双杠动作可帅了!
• The ballet dancer is so graceful.芭蕾舞演员的姿态是如此的优美。

40 tapering   

adj.尖端细的

参考例句：

• Interest in the scandal seems to be tapering off. 人们对那件丑闻的兴趣似乎越来越小了。
• Nonproductive expenditures keep tapering down. 非生产性开支一直在下降。

41 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

42 squander   

v.浪费，挥霍

参考例句：

• Don't squander your time in reading those dime novels.不要把你的时间浪费在读那些胡编乱造的廉价小说上。
• Every chance is precious，so don't squander any chance away!每次机会都很宝贵，所以不要将任何一个白白放走。

43 appreciation   

n.评价；欣赏；感谢；领会，理解；价格上涨

参考例句：

• I would like to express my appreciation and thanks to you all.我想对你们所有人表达我的感激和谢意。
• I'll be sending them a donation in appreciation of their help.我将送给他们一笔捐款以感谢他们的帮助。

44 purely   

adv.纯粹地，完全地

参考例句：

• I helped him purely and simply out of friendship.我帮他纯粹是出于友情。
• This disproves the theory that children are purely imitative.这证明认为儿童只会单纯地模仿的理论是站不住脚的。

45 frail   

adj.身体虚弱的；易损坏的

参考例句：

• Mrs. Warner is already 96 and too frail to live by herself.华纳太太已经九十六岁了，身体虚弱，不便独居。
• She lay in bed looking particularly frail.她躺在床上，看上去特别虚弱。

46 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

47 physically   

adj.物质上，体格上，身体上，按自然规律

参考例句：

• He was out of sorts physically,as well as disordered mentally.他浑身不舒服，心绪也很乱。
• Every time I think about it I feel physically sick.一想起那件事我就感到极恶心。

48 aggregation   

n.聚合，组合；凝聚

参考例句：

• A high polymer is a very large aggregation of units.一个高聚物是许多单元的非常大的组合。
• Moreover,aggregation influences the outcome of chemical disinfection of viruses.此外，聚集作用还会影响化学消毒的效果。

49 versatility   

n.多才多艺，多样性，多功能

参考例句：

• Versatility is another of your strong points,but don't overdo it by having too many irons in the fire.你还有一个长处是多才多艺，但不要揽事太多而太露锋芒。
• This versatility comes from a dual weather influence.这种多样性是由于双重的气候影响而形成的。