The Placer herald., 1857-11-07
Shaking Hands.
BY EDWARD EVERETT. 1850.

occurrence than shaking hands; and yet
do not recollect that much has been specuat-
ed upon the subject. | confess, when | con-
slider to what unimportant and futile matters
the attention of writer's and readers has often
been directed, | am surprised that no one
has been found to handle so important a
subject as this; and attempted to give the
public rational view of the doctrine and
discipline of shaking hands. 1t is subject
on which l have myself reflected good
deal, and beg leave to offer you few re-
marks on the origin of the practice, and the
various forms in which it is exercised.
| have been unable to find among the an
clients any distinct mention of shaking hands.
They followed the heartier practice of hug
ging or embracing, which has not wholly
disappeared among grown persons in Europe,
and children in our own country, and has
unquestionably the advantage on the score
of cordiality. When the ancients confined
the business of salutation to the hands alone,
they joined but did not shake them. AL
though | find frequently such phrases as
jungere dertras hoSpitio, do not recolect to
have met with that of agitare dertras. am
inclined to think that the practice grew up
in The ages of chivalry, when the cumbrous
iron mail, in which the knights were cased,
prevented their embracing; and when, with
fingers clothed in steel, the simple touch or
joining of the hands would have been but
cold welcome; so that prolonged junction
was natural resort, to express cordially;
and as it would have been awkward to keep
the hands unemployed in this position, q
l. cI |, o.Lt l,o,
naturally introduced. How long the prac
tice may have remained in this rudimental
stage, it is impossible in the silence Of history
to say; nor is there anything in the English
chroniclers, in Phillip de Confines, or the
Byzantine historians, which enables us to
trace the progress Of the art into the forms
in which it now exists among us.
Without, therefore, avaing myself Of the
privilege Of theorists to supply by conjecture
the want of history or tradition, shall pass
Immediately to the enumeration Of these
form:
!. The pump handle shi Ike is the first
which deserves notice. 1t is executed by
taking your friends hand, and working it
up and down through an arc Of fifty degrees,
for about minute and lalf. To have
its true nature, force and distinctive charac-
ter, this shake should be performed with a
fair, steady motion. No attempt should be
mede to give it grace, and still less vivacty;
as the few instances in which the latte" has
been tried have universally resulted in dis
locating the shoulder. of the peison on whom
it has been attempted. On the contrary,
persons who are partial to the pump-handle
shake should be at some pains to give an
equable, tranquil movement to the opera
tont, which should, on no account, be con-
tinued after perspiration on the part of your
friend has commenced.
Q. The pendulum shake may be mentioned
next as being somewhat similar in character,
but moving, as the name indicates, in hor-
zontal, instead of perpendicular direction.
1t is executed by sweeping your hand hor-
zontally toward your friends and, after the
junction is affected, rowing with it from one
side to the other, according to the pleasure
of the parties. The only caution in its use,
which needs particularly to be given, is not
to insist on performing it in a plane strictly
parallel to the horizon, when you meet a
person who has been educated to the pump
handle shake 1t is well known that people
cling to the forms in which they have been
educated, even when the substance is sacrific-
ed in adhering to them. | had two uncles,
both estimabe men, one Of whom had been
brought up in the pump-handle shake, and
another had brought home the pendulum
from foreign voyage. They met, joined
hands, and attempted to put them in motion.
They were neither of them feeble men. One
endeavoring to pump, and the other 10 pad
die; their faces reddened--the drops stood on
their foreheads; and it was at least pleas
ing illustration of the doctrine of the com
bination of forces, to see their hands slant
ing into an exact diagonal; in which line
they ever afterwards shook-but it was plain
to see there was no cordiality in it, and, as is
usually the case with compromises both
parties were discontented.
8. The tourniquet shake is the next in inn
portance. 1t derives its name from the in
struments made use Of by surgeons to stop
the circulation of the blood, in limb about
to be amputated 1t is performed by clasp
ing the hand of your friend, as far as you
can, in your own, and then contracting the
muscles Of your thumb, fingers and palm,
till you have produced any degree of com
preston you may propose. Particular care
ought to be taken, if your hand is as hard
and as big as frying pan, and that of your
friend is small and soft as young maiden's,
not to make use of the tournquet shake to
the degree that will force the small bones of
the wrist out of place. A hardy young
friend of mine who had pursued the study
Of geology, and acquired au unusual hard
ness and strength of hand and wrist by the
use Of the hammer, on returning from
scientific excursion gave bis gouty uncle the
tourniquet shake with such severity as re-
duced the old gentleman's fingers to powder,
for which my friend had the satisfaction of
being disinherited, as soon as bis uncle got
we'll enough to hold pen.