Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1905-11-03
FINGER VALUES.
Comparative Usefulness of the Thumb
and Its Co-Worlxera.

and Its Co-Worlxers.
The Thumb-The different fingers
ire far from having the same value
with reference to their fundamental
utilization. Much the most important
is the thumb, for without ii prehension
would be very imperfect. The hand is
no longer pincers, but merely a claw,
when deprived of the thumb. 1t may
be estimated that the thumb represents
fully third of the total value of the
hand.
The total loss Of the thumb is esti-
mated by Brouardel, secretary Of the
Societe lie Medicine Legale. as fifteen
to thirty-fve per cent. for the right
and ten to fifteen per cent. for the left
hand. except for workers in art. when
he estimates forty to fifty for the right
and twenty-five to forty per cent for
the left hand. The Austrian schedule
gives fifteen to twenty-five per cent.
In Germany twenty, thirty eight and
up TO thirty-three and three tenths per
cent has been awarded On account
of the gEeat difference resulting in our
opinion from the use Of both hands,
we prefer, in the professions not re-
During special hand skill, thirty per
cent. for the right and twenty per cent.
for the left. The percentage is based
on 100 as the total industrial value OF
the hand previously to the accident,
loss of fifty per cent. representing half
of that value and loss of twenty
five per cent one-fourth, etc.
The Index Finger-The total loss OF
the index causes an incapacity esti-
mated at ten to fifteen per cent. in Aus
tria; sixteen to twenty per cent. in
Germany; fifteen TO twenty-five per
cent. by Thiersch; twenty per cent. for
the right and fifteen per cent. for the
left by the Italian courts; fifteen per
cent. by the French tribunals; ten to
fifteen per cent. for the right and five,
to fifteen per cent. for the left by
Brouardel, except for workers in art.
These figures differ but little from
one another, and the figures from ten
to twenty per cent, according to the
side, may be adopted.
The Middle Finger-The total loss of
the middle finger is regarded by Cole
biewSki as often more prejudicial than
that of the index. This is an isolated
opinion. Almost all the authorities
ascribe less Importance to the middle
finger than to the index. Yet a great
loss of force is observed in the hand
when the finger is amputated. The
following are estimates: The Austrian
tariff. five to ten per cent: Brouardel.
five TO fifteen per cent, except for
workers in art; Thiersch, ten to twenty
per cent; the Italian law, five per cent.
The figures eight to twelve per cent.
often are nearest the truth.
The annular Ging) finger is the least
important. Its total loss often does not
cause incapacity. The Austrian tariff
assimilates this finger to the middle
one. Brouardel estimates the loss at
five to ten per cent; the Italian law,
eight per cent. The French and Ger
man judicial decisions are often in ac-
cord i'll refusing indemnity, considering
the incapacity resulting from the loss
as very slight.
The auricular Qitt1'eJ finger may be
compared to tbac annular, except in the
proffessl0ns in which it serves as a
I point of support for the hand.-Acci-
dents Of Travel.