Democratic Sentinel, Volume 19, Number 50, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 December 1895 — Told By the Thumbs. [ARTICLE]

Told By the Thumbs.

“When 1 went, to 11 nerve spodslis 1 first,’’ said a num who was once an invalid, “he told me that, one way to judge of a person’s nerves was to watch him thumbs. Ever since thut time I have found the greatest fascination in looking *l. people’s tlm nibs. The doctor said that if they moved involuntarily outward it was a sign tliat tlie nerves of that man or wotaaa were not in the best condition. 1 find Bayself now sweeping the line that aita opposite me in a car, and if tliat doctor's test b a good one there is a surprising number of people in this town whose nerves uced looking after. There are few among the women who do not involuntarily move the thumbs outward at intervals of every few minutes, and when your attention baa once been attracted to it tlie proecss of watching their gloved hands grown very interesting I have found the habit notch less frequent among men; hut take the average number of women in a table car and It will be a surprise to you to see bow many of them indulge imeonscioimiy ha this little habit I only hope it does Mt mean anything as serious as it might indicate if that nerve specialist’s diagao sb was a good one.”