The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1897-05-22
SIGNS In THE THUMB.
WHAT they REaA AND HOW YOU
MAY LEARN TO READ THEM.

ar Value In Character Delineaticn-Thcre
r. q thumb Center In the Brain-Gyp-
Nv Fortune TelIers Often Conine Their
Investigations to the Thumb.
The gypsies have always recognized
! that the thumb is the most important
| factor in delineating special tendencies.
These nomadic people are the most in
. tuitive Gu earth, and the fact that IL
their fortune telling they often confinc
their representations to the thumb
| alone is worth more than a passing no.
tice.
The fact that there is what Is known
as the ''thurnb center" i'll the brain, rec
ognized By all surgeons, demonstrates
the immense Importance attached to lt
by medical science. If there is a tend
ency toward paralysis, the physician
notes it III the thumbs long before the
malady shows itself in other directions.
An operation to avert the calamity, II
possible, is frequently performed on the
thumb center Of the brain, and the
thumb itself il watched for results favor
able or otherwise. It is a matter &
record that the thumbs of idiots and
those mentally weak arc undersiZ2d,
/ characterlcss and usually cling closely
to the side Of tie hand. There have been
books written On Gigns in the thumbs as
denoting criminal instincts, and detect
ives have been often moved to consider
seriously this phase of the land III nlaE-
ing their deductions in puzzling cases.
The position of the thumb with refer
ence to the rest of the hand makes eiti4cr
for CT against favorable tendencies. If it
is bound to the first finger at q close
angle. lying nearly parallel, it indicates
a weak and coNardly nature. People
with such thumbs are lct open and
frank in character, preferTing to creep
along in the shadow and profit by arr
other's enterprise. II, in connection with
this position, it should be very small,
with yacillating, almost invisible joints,
it indicates mental weakness. If, on the
contrary, it flies out at right angles or
even farther, it shows want of balance
in another direction. The person will
rush to extremes and is independent and
aggressive almost to foolhardiness. Such
people are disagreeable to associate with
u any enterprise, a. they always want
their W way and are net subservient
to authority. The well balanced thumb
lies at an agile of about 40 degrees from
the first finger. The joints Of the thumb
also tell their story. The Timber jointed
thumb which turns back from the
hand is . misfortune to its owner. He
will never be rich by saving his earn
ings, and il a fortune should be left
him it is likely to be soon d~issipated.
lie is a s%peudthrift by nature, not only
i'll money, but in thought. If he gets a
hobby, bic rides it to death. and his pol
icy in all the affairs Of life will be, If
d little il good, more is better And il
he does not actually live ont all his i'm
pulses, he will always fret in the spirit
and grow rebellious in resisting his nat
ural tendencies. The stable jointed
thumb is everything that is the opposite
to the first tyre. And, while the people
with these thumbs are not so compan-
ioifable or 50 helpful to others, they sue
coed By concentration and a certain
amount Of selfishness. They have the
directness of purpose and the tenacity tc
carry 0Asuccessfnl issue great enter
prises. They are stubborn, material,
stolid, resistless. The chimpanzee,
which has the hand most nearly resem'
bling the harnan, shows the creates,
weakness and want Of intelligence in it.
understood shost thumb. And il tht
human race the long thumb may b
taken as indicating the more intellectual
nature. The shorter the thumbs til,
more brutal and passion governed thu
nature.
: The relative 1engtllsof the joints aIst
plays al important part. Tho first indi
Gates the will power; thersecond denote
judgment. reason and legic, and th'
third, which controls the mount Of We
nus, indicates the affections and love q
9 fellow beings. In a well balanced ma
ture the first and second joints gre abou
Of equal length. This indicates 10 whole
some adjustment between the jaIdgmen
} and the Will. If, however, the FIRST join
is longer than the second, the Will ex
ceeds the Judgment and the person i
: likely to be stubborn and often TACT
. without reason. When the second join
: is the longer, q person plans better tlaI
he executes. In this way be often get
the reputation Of being visionary, and !
frequently full Of schemes which h
: lacks the Will to Gerry out. The thir,
joint. y liam, " Of the hand, when to
2 thick indicates ungovernable passion
ard an inordinate love Of the oppcsit
g sex. Such a person Will be hail FELLOW
we'll met, j boon companion, but j
likely to neglect the intellectual &c