The shape of the fingers is frequently a correct indication of the
character of the individual, and taken in connection with the lines of
the palm they serve as a forecast of the person’s life in the past and
future.
A hand with pointed fingers (see Fig. 1) is rare and is usually the
accompaniment of a delicate, sensitive palm and is the hand that
is most often found among dreamers, poets, idealists, artists and
philosophers. It is an indication that soul rules over matter and
indicates a high-grade personality.
Conical fingers (as in Fig. 2), with a well-formed thumb, indicate
that the person is quick in action and is ruled by impulse rather than
by calculation. They are the sign of a clever, nervous, energetic
character.
[Illustration]
Square fingers (such as are shown in Fig. 3) indicate perseverance,
regularity and a love of order. They are generally found with a
thorough business man, a progressive, law-abiding citizen with a talent
for conception and execution. Their owner is usually methodical,
punctual and neat.
Spatulate fingers (as shown in Fig. 4) derive their name from the fact
that the “spatula” is a knife-shaped instrument used by druggists,
where the tip is slightly wider than the stem. Fingers of this kind
show action, energy, self-confidence. They are often found in men who
labor with their hands, and seldom with the idle rich.
Knotted fingers (as in Fig. 5) are an indication of toil, energy and
resourcefulness. The person is usually more imitative than original,
but is able to turn any situation to some practical advantage.
The refined woman’s hand (see Fig. 6) has the fingers neither spatulate
nor square, but usually of the tapering type, tho not often pronounced,
except in the idle women. Possessors of such hands love beautiful
things, crave excitement, act on impulse, but make good wives and
loving mothers.
The criminal’s fingers (see Fig. 7) are usually short and ill-formed.
The fingers are wide at the base and rounded at the nails, which are
apt to be thick and coarse. The palm is soft from lack of manual work.
The thumb is short but flexible.
In the workman’s hand (see Fig. 8) the palm is hard and thick; not
necessarily from toil but by nature. The thumb is short and slightly
turned back. The fingers are usually coarse and thick. This hand
indicates improvidence, lack of forethought, and primitive passions. It
is also the hand of the savage and the illiterate.