Rensselaer Republican, Volume 27, Number 39, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 June 1896 — WATCH THE THUMBS. [ARTICLE]

WATCH THE THUMBS.

They Are Telltale Signs of Healthy or Sick Nerves. “When I went to a nerve specialist first,” said a man who was once an invalid to a Boston Gazette reporter, “he told me that one way to judge of the condition of a person’s nerves was to watch his thumbs. Ever since that time I have found the greatest fascination in looking at people’s thumbs. The doctor said that if they moved involuntarily outward it was a sign that the nerves of that man or woman were not in the best condition. I find myself now line sweeping the line opposite me in the car, and if the doctor’s test is a good one, there is a surprising number of people in this town whose nerves need looking after. There are few people among the women who do not involuntarily move the thumbs outward at intervals of every few minutes, and when your attention have been once attracted to it, the process of watching their gloved hands grows very interesting. I have found the habit much less frequent among men, but take the average number of women in a street car, and it will be a surprise to you to see how many of them indulge unconsciously in this little habit. I only hope it does not mean anything as serious as it might indicate if that nerve specialist’s diagnosis was a good, one.