The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1907-02-23
HOW TO PRESERVE AND BEAUTIFY THE
HAM

n
when the halting tongue is dumb.
The more cultivated the mind and
heart, the more expressive the hand.
The hand of the thinker is alive with
meaning the hand of the idiot lies
inert, with the thumb, the seat of
will and reason, according to palms.
try, in most cases, folded beneath the
fingers. There are more nerves be-
tween brain and hand than in any
other portion of the system. Balzac
says: "We acquire the faculty of
imposing silence upon our eyes, upon
our eyebrows, and upon our fore
beads the hand alone does not dis
semble-no feature is more express
sive than the hands. -
AS means of communication
apart from the language of : the
tongue, with what wonderful mobility,
rapidity and versatility of expression
do the dumb use their manual ex-
preston Owing to their deprivation
of one o. natures gifts, they are usu
ally exempt from hard labor, which
roughens and hardens the hand and
deprives It of its suppleness and sen
sibility. A horny handed son of
toll would be unable to see the sign
language with facility, just as he is
unable to perform delicate tasks which
require manual dexterity, or 70 exc
cute graceful gestures. Strength has
been developed at the expense of
grace and beauty.
Throwing out of the question the
care or lack of it given to the hand,
it reflects very accurately the charac
ter of its owner. Much of ones char
acteristics and environment may be
guessed by the veriest novice from
the hand alone, even if the individu
al be hidden. We say of the philan-
thropist, "he is open handed;" of
the miser, che is close e-fsted." These
are not mere empty phrases, but en-
body certain we'll attested facts based
upon wide observation and compari
son. Even aside from the science of
palmistry, the hand is an open book
to the close observer. The shape of
the hand is a gift of nature; its con
dition, an index of the social and
mental status of the owner. The
first cannot be materially changed,
although in most instances, it can be
greatly improved but the second is
wholly optional with its possessor.
A we'll kept hand, irrespective of size
and shape, is the sign manual of men
tai and moral elevation. Scrupulous
cleanliness an undeniable attraction
a hand may be large and devoid of
beautiful outlines, yet attractive sole
ly by reason of self evident care. To
beautify the face and neglect the
hands evinces objectionable vulgari-
ltyS A crowning offense against good
taste is to place beautiful jewels upon
neglected fingers.
Hands show the effects of time and
illusage, almost, if not quite as much
as the face. Between the ages of six
teen and twenty years they attain
their maturity and beauty of symmet
rical development. If not subject
to harsh treatment they will remain
practically unchanged until thirty
after that an almost imperceptible al
teration begins. and without careful
attention beauty is on the wane the
tissues become attenuated, the skin
begins to grow dry and inclined to
wrinkle, causing the joints and veins
to show more prominently. This is
due to the gradual absorption of the
fat cells by the sub-cutaneous tissues.
1t is the same cause as that which
promotes wrinkles in the face, the
looseness of the epidermis. Neglect
will hasten the aging of the hands
and care will rejuvenate them /; hands
which have suffered from unremitting
toll and neglect, as well as utter in
difference as to their welfare, will
readily improve by systematic daily
treatment and respond most grateful
ly by showing an unfamiliar smooth
ness, whiteness and hexibility.
The hands grow stiff and ungainly
and lose their suppleness without ex
ercise, just like any other member
of the body. Sleight of hand tricks,
the pianist's skill and all exercises
which require manual dexterity are
performed only through repeated
daily practice. Much of the individu
al dexterity of the fingers is lost in
performing heavy household tasks.
A good exercise for promoting
Aexibility of the muscles of the hano
is to double it up into fist, then
open it suddenly, stretching the fin
gers wide apart. Repeat these exer-
cises twenty FIVE times with each
hand several times day, if the joints
seem to be losing their suppleness.
Five finger exercises, the same as
performed upon a piano, using in
stead hard wood table as key
board, give independent action to the
finger muscles, and are useful when
the fingers begin to grow stiff from
age or other causes.
Amounting the hands with pure olive
oil is beneficial. Another way to
make rough and stiff hands supple is
to anoint them thoroughly with oil
and work it thoroughly into every
Joint wash it off with warm water
and pure soap. Dry carefully and
apply the following lotion Best
glycerine, witch hazel extract and
distilled or boiled water equal parts.
Now place one hand upon the other
and grasp firmly; slowly pull the
under hand out repeat dozen times
with each hand. If presevered in,
daily, this treatment will keep the
hands flexible, soft and shapely.
Imperfect washing and incomplete
drying of the hands especially in cold
weather, renders them rough, red
and liable to chap. Too hastily and
frequently dabbling the hands in hard
water of varying temperature, to neg
a.