A manual of cheirosophy : being a complete practical handbook of the twin sciences of cheirognomy and cheiromancy, by means whereof the past, the present, and the future may be read in the formations of the hands ; preceded by an introductory argument upon the science of cheirosophy and its claims to rank as a physical science / by Ed. Heron-Allen ... with full-page and other illustrations by Rosamund Brunel Horsley.

  • Heron-Allen, Edward, 1861-1943.
Date:
1892
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A manual of cheirosophy : being a complete practical handbook of the twin sciences of cheirognomy and cheiromancy, by means whereof the past, the present, and the future may be read in the formations of the hands ; preceded by an introductory argument upon the science of cheirosophy and its claims to rank as a physical science / by Ed. Heron-Allen ... with full-page and other illustrations by Rosamund Brunel Horsley. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Lemnius. Kirchmann. ing and curious, and which resulted [as we shall see] in this finger being termed Medicus [vide Note 112, p. 186]. In very old works on medicine we find direc- tions to the effect that, in mixing their drugs, doctors are to use nothing but the third finger, this being con- nected directly with the heart by a main artery [?!], and the reason of this is thus stated by Levinus Lemnius:27 “ So I observed in Gallia Belgica that very many were subject to the gowt [gout\ of their hands and feet, all whose joynts were swolln and in bitter pains, save onely the ring finger of the left hand which is next the little finger, for that by the nearnesse and consent of the heart felt no harm Because a small branch of the arterie [and not of the nerves as Gellius thought] is stretched forth from the heart unto this finger Also the worth of this finger that it receives from the heart procured thus much that the old Physitians [from whence also it hath the name of Medicus] would mingle their medicaments and potions with this finger, for no venom can stick upon the very outmost part of it, but it will offend a man and communicate itself to his heart; ” he then goes on to explain that this leads to the circumstance of its being the ring-finger, and on this very matter of the ring-finger Kirchmann has some most interesting explanatory notes of which the following is a transla- tion :28—After pointing out the fact of this being, par excellence, the ring-finger, and giving as authorities for some interesting remarks thereon, Pliny, Macrobius, and Politianus, he points out that the thumb has been discarded as a ring-finger, because of its comparative inferiority of formation, the second and fourth on account respectively of their largeness and smallness, 27 Levinus Lemnius, “ The Secret Miracles of Nature in four Books” (London, 1658), bk. ii., ch. II. 28 Johannis Kirchmanni, Lubecensis, “De Annulis liber singularis” (Slesvi&ae, 1657).