Page:Every Woman's Encyclopedia Volume 1.djvu/718

 RECRBATION8 692 PALMISTRY Continued from page S73, Part 4 No. 3. PALM— TEXTURE OF THE SKIN— NAILS What Large Hands Indicate— When the Palms are Hollow— How the Nails Indicate Character passionate, often irritable, but ardent and A FTER considering the thumb and fingers, we next turn our attention to the size of the hand generally, and find that usually people with small hands are ambitious ; they have large ideas, making plans bey^ond their capabihties. They desire to govern people and manage large concerns, but do not care to attend to details. Large hands, on the contrary, are generally capable of ver}^ fine work, and the posses- sors pay great atten- tion to detail. One authority on palmistry mentions the fact that out of nearly a hundred diamond-setters and others engaged in such fine work, all had large hands, and in one or Long nails, bluish in tint, are twO CaSCS VCry large hands. As a general rule, if the sign that the owner's circu lation is poor the fingers are long in comparison with the palm, the intellect will predominate, but if short in comparison the materialistic side of the nature will be more developed. If the palm is hollow the subject is un- fortunate, having more disappointments than usual. The palm very thick, full and soft, shows sensuality ; when not so thick, and rather flabby, laziness and a love of luxury ; but if firm and it has a feeling of elasticity when pressed, intellectual powers, a well-regulated mind, and a hopeful nature are denoted, while a thin hand and hard palm reveal a worrying and nervous nature. The texture of the skin is, of course, greatly aftected by manual labour, but even taking that into consideration there still remains the fact that skin is coarse or fine textured according to the disposition of the subject, a fine texture showing greater delicacy and refinement of feehng and nature altogether. The colour of the palm is important, too, as bearing on the disposition. Should it have a yellow tinge the subject suffers from morbid- ness and melancholy ; if verv pale, then the disposition is selfish" and unsympathetic, only takmg interest in things that concern self, while very red in colour shows good health, quick temper, and passionate feel- ings ; if of a pink tint, then the nature is bright and hopeful. Also it is as well to notice the colour of the hair on the back of the hands. People Nails that betoken a nervous with blark nr ^rpr^r temperament with a tendency ^"", "^f^!^ ^ .,,^U to paralysis dark hair will be o Short-nailed people are critical, often quick tempered, and have a good sense of humour affectionate ; those with fair hair are inclined to be languid, even lazy, and more impressed by other people, and their surroundings. Red hair shows much greater vitality, and in consequence red- haired people are more excitable and alert. Nails are the next important item ; they are best divided into four distinct classes — (i) Broad. (2) Narrow, (3) Long, (4) Short. The shape and size of the nail is a good guide to the state of health, and doctors are now beginning to admit that such is the case. A short, broad type of nail generally shows greater physical strength than a long one. Very long nails show a tendency to diseases of the chest, particularly if they are very curved, and again this is more decided if they are fluted in addition. The same style of nail but shorter, denotes a tendency to throat and bronchial trouble. If the nails are long and bluish in tint, then the circulation is bad ; large moons at the base of the nail shows good circulation, but should the nails be short and thin, with no moons, the heart is in a weak state. Nerve diseases are shown by short nails appearing sunken into the flesh ; if very flat and inclined to lift up at the edge almost like a wedge in shape, a tendency to para- lysis. Nails that are very long, narrow, and curved show weakness, and" often in- dicate spinal trouble. As regards disposition, short-nailed people are very much more critical than long- nailed ones. They make very good critics, never even sparing themselves; they analyse a 1 1 things, they like to reason things out, and are keen and quick in their judg- ment, having also p^^pi, ^-.^ ,„„g ,,,i,3 ^;^ i^^g,^, a good sense of ative and artistic, and usually humour. They are ^^^^^^ '" temper than those with c, * • 1 J short nails often quick - tem- pered, and do not readily beheve things they do not thoroughly understand. People with long nails are inclined to be imaginative and do not care to go into facts if distasteful to them ; they are artistic, poetical, and impressionable. 7o be continued.