criminal psychology-第26章

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eives　from　them　a　determinate　expression　even　if　this　does　not　reveal　his　inner　state；　but　whoever　does　the　same　thing　a　thousand　times　with　his　hand　does　not　thereby　impress　on　it　a　means　of　identification。　The　frequent　Tartuffian　rolling　of　the　eyes　finally　gives　the　face　a　pious　or　at　least　pietistic　expression；　but　fold　your　hands　in

＇1＇　Wagner's　Handwrterbuch；　III；　i。

　daily　prayer　for　years　and　nobody　would　discover　it　from　them。　It　seems；　however；　of　little　use　to　know　that　human　hands　can　not　be　disguised；　if　they　are　little　or　not　at　all　differentiated；　but　as　it　happens　they　are；　next　to　the　face；　the　most　extremely　and　profoundly　differentiated　of　human　organs；　and　a　general　law　teaches　us　that　different　effects　are　produced　by　different　causes；　and　that　from　the　former　the　latter　may　be　inferred。　If　then　we　observe　the　infinite　variety　of　the　human　hand　we　have　to　infer　an　equally　infinite　variety　of　influences；　and　inasmuch　as　we　cannot　trace　these　influences　any　further　we　must　conclude　that　they　are　to　be　explained　causally　by　the　infinite　variety　of　psychical　states。

Whoever　studies　the　hand　psychologically　gains　in　the　course　of　time　a　great　deal　of　faith　in　what　the　hand　tells　him。　And　finally　he　doubts　it　only　when　chirognomy　conflicts　with　physiognomy。　If　in　such　cases　it　is　observed　that　the　hand　is　more　likely　to　be　correct　than　the　face；　and　that　inferences　from　the　hand　more　rarely　show　themselves　to　be　false；　one　is　reminded　of　the　dictum　of　Aristotle；　‘‘The　hand　is　the　organ　of　organs；　the　instrument　of　instruments　in　the　human　body。''　If　this　is　correct；　the　favored　instrument　must　be　in　the　closest　kind　of　relation　with　the　psyche　of　the　owner；　but　if　this　relation　exists　there　must　be　an　interaction　also。　If　the　hand　contained　merely　its　physical　structure；　Newton　would　never　have　said；　‘‘Other　evidence　lacking；　the　thumb　would　convince　me　of　God's　existence。''

How　far　one　ought　to　establish　fundamental　propositions　in　this　matter；　I　can　not　easily　say。　Perhaps　it　would　be　scientifically　most　correct　to　be　satisfied　for　the　time　with　collecting　the　carefully　and　keenly　observed　material　and　getting　the　anatomists；　who　are　already　in　need　of　material　for　professional　investigations；　to　take　the　matter　up；　in　collecting　photographs　of　hands　belonging　to　persons　whose　characters　are　well　known　and　in　getting　a　sufficient　number　of　properly　equipped　persons　to　make　the　collection。　If　we　had　enough　material　to　draw　fundamental　principles　from；　much　that　has　been　asserted　by　Bell；　Carus；　D'Arpentigny；　Allen；　Gessmann；　Liersch；　Landsberg；＇1＇　etc。；　might　be　proved　and　tested。　But　their　statements

＇1＇　C。　Bell：　The　Human　Hand。　London　1865。　　K。　G。　Carus：　ber　Grund　u。　Bedeutung　der　verschiedenen　Hand。　Stuttgart　1864。　　D'Arpentigny：　La　Chirognomie。　Paris　1843。　　Allen。　Manual　of　Cheirosophy。　London　1885。　　Gessman：　Die　Mnnerhand；　Die　Frauenhand；　Die　Kinderhand。　Berlin　1892；　1893；　1894。　　Liersch。　Die　linke　Hand。　Berlin　1893。　　J。　Landsberg：　Die　Wahrsagekunst　aus　der　Menschlichen　Gestalt。　Berlin　1895。

　are　still　subject　to　contradiction　because　their　fundamental　principles　are　not　sufficient　for　the　development　of　a　system。　Probably　nobody　will　doubt　some　of　the　more　common　statements；　all　will　grant　with　Winkelmann　that　a　beautiful　hand　is　in　keeping　with　a　beautiful　soul；　or　with　Balzac　that　people　of　considerable　intellect　have　handsome　hands；　or　in　calling　the　hand　man's　second　face。　But　when　specific　co…ordinations　of　the　hand　are　made　these　meet　with　much　doubt。　So　for　example；　Esser＇1＇　calls　the　_elementary_　hand　essentially　a　work　hand；　the　_motor_　essentially　a　masculine　hand；　having　less　soul　and　refinement　of　character　than　will　and　purposefulness。　So　again　the　_sensitive_　hand　implies　generally　a　sanguine　character；　and　the　_psychic_　hand　presents　itself　as　the　possession　of　beautiful　souls　and　noble　spirits。

However　true　this　classification　may　be；　the　establishment　and　description　of　the　various　significatory　signs　is　very　difficult；　especially　because　the　forms　named　rarely　appear　in　clear　and　sharply　defined　subdivisions。　The　boundaries　are　fluid；　like　the　characters　themselves；　and　where　the　properties　of　one　group　pass　almost　directly　into　the　other；　both　description　and　recognition　are　difficult。　If；　then；　we　can　not　depend　upon　a　systematic；　and　at　present　remote　treatment；　we　still　may　depend　on　well…founded　observations　which　appear　as　reliable　presuppositions　in　the　light　of　their　frequent　repetition。

Not　essentially　psychological　but　of　importance　for　the　criminalist　are　the　inferences　we　may　draw　from　Herbert　Spencer's　assertion　that　people　whose　ancestors　have　worked　with　their　hands　possess　heavy　hands。　Conversely；　people　whose　ancestors　have　not　worked　hard　with　their　hands　possess　small　and　fine　hands。　Hence　the　small　delicate　hands　of　Jews；　the　frequent　perfection　of　form　and　invariable　smallness　of　the　hands　of　Gypsies；　who　have　inherited　their　hands　from　high…cast　Hindoos；　and　the　so…called　racial　hands　of　real　aristocrats。　That　hard　work；　even　tumbling；　piano　playing；　etc。；　should　alter　the　form　of　a　hand　is　self…evident；　since　muscles　grow　stronger　with　practice　and　the　skin　becomes　coarser　and　drawn　through　friction；　sharp　wind　and　insufficient　care。　As　is　well　known；　physical　properties　are　hereditary　and　observable　in　any　study　of　races；　is　it　any　wonder　that　a　skilled　glance　at　a　man's　hand　may　uncover　a　number　of　facts　concerning　the　circumstances　of　his　life？　Nobody　doubts　that　there　are　raw；　low；　sensual；　fat　hands。　And　who　does　not　know　the　suffering；　spiritual；　refined；　and　delicate

＇1＇　W。　Esser：　Psychologie。　Mnster　1854。

　hand？　Hands　cannot　of　course　be　described　and　distinguished　according　to　fixed　classification；　and　no　doubt　Hellenbach　was　right　when　he　said；　‘‘Who　can　discover　the　cause　of　the　magic　charm　which　lies　in　one　out　of　a　hundred　thousand　equally　beautiful　hands？''

And　this　is　remarkable　because　we　are　not　fooled　through　a　well　cared　for；　fine　and　elegant　hand。　Everybody；　I　might　say；　knows　the　convincing　quality　that　may　lie　in　the　enormous　leathery　fist　of　a　peasant。　For　that；　too；　is　often　harmoniously　constructed；　nicely　articulated；　appears　peaceful　and　trustworthy。　We　feel　that　we　have　here　to　do　with　a　man　who　is　honest；　who　presents　himself　and　his　business　as　they　are；　who　holds　fast　to　whatever　he　once　gets　hold　of；　and　who　understands　and　is　accustomed　to　make　his　words　impressive。　And　we　gain　this　conviction；　not　only　through　the　evidence　of　honest　labor；　performed　through　years；　but　also　through　the　stability　and　determination　of　the　form　of　his　hands。　On　the　other　hand；　how　often　are　we　filled　with　distrust　at　the　sight　of　a　carefully　tended；　pink　and　white　hand　of　an　elegant　gentleman　whether　because　we　dislike　its　condition　or　its　shape；　or　because　the　form　of　the　nails　recalls　an　unpleasant　memory；　or　because　there　is　something　wrong　about　the　arrangement　of　the　fingers；　or　because　of　some　unknown　reason。　We　are　warned；　and　without　being　hypnotised；　regularly　discover　that　the　warning　is　justified。　Certain　properties　are　sure　to　express　themselves：　coldness；　prudence；　hardness；　calm　consideration；　greed；　are　just　as　indubitable　in　the　hand　as　kindness；　frankness；　gentleness；　and　honesty。

The　enchantment　of　many　a　feminine　hand　is　easily　felt。　The　surrender；　the　softness；　the　concession；　the　refinement　and　honesty　of　many　a　woman　is　so　clear　and　open　that　it　streams　out；　so　to　speak；　and　is　perceivable　by　the　senses。

To　explain　all　this；　to　classify　it　scientifically　and　to　arrange　it　serially；　would　be；　nowadays　at　least；　an　unscientific　enterprise。　These　phenomena　pass　from　body　to　body　and　are　as　reliable　as　inexplicable。　Who　has　never　observed　them；　and　although　his　attention　has　been　called　to　them；　still　has　failed　to　notice　them；　need　not　consider　them；　but　persons　believing　in　them　must　be　warned　against　exaggeration　and　haste。　The　one　advice　that　can　be　given　is　to　study　the　language　of　the　hand　before　officially　ignoring　it；　not　to　decide　immediately　upon　the　value　of　the　observations　one　is　supposed　to　have　made；　but　to　handle　them　cautiously　and　to　test　them　with　later　experiences。　It　is　of　especial　interest　to　trace　　the　movement　of　the　hand；　especially　the　fingers。　I　do　not　mean　those　movements　which　are　external；　and　co…ordinate　with　the　movements　of　the　arm；　those　belong　to　mimicry。　I　mean　those　that　begin　at　the　wrist　and　therefore　occur　in　the　hand　only。　For　the　study　of　those　movements　the　hand　of　childhood　is　of　little　use；　being　altogether　too　untrained；　unskilled；　and　neutral。　It　shows　most　clearly　the　movement　of　the　desire　to　possess；　of　catching　hold　and　drawing　toward　oneself；　generally　toward　the　mouth；　as　does　the　suckling　child　its　mother's　breast。　This　movement；　Darwin　has　observed　even　among　kittens。

The　masculine　hand　is　generally　too　heavy　and　slow；　clearly　to　exhibit　the　more　refined　movements；　these　are　fully　developed　only　in　the　feminine；　particularly　in　the　hands　of　vivacious；　nervous；　and　spiritually　excitable　women。　The　justice　who　observes　them　may　read　more　than　he　can　in　their　owner's　words。　The　hand　lies　in　the　lap　apparently　inert；　but　the　otherwise　well　concealed　anger　slowly　makes　a　fist　of　it；　or　the　fingers　bend　characteristically　forward　as　if　they　wished　to　scratch　somebody's　eyes　out。　Or　they　cramp　together　in　deep　pain；　or　the　balls　of　the　four　other　fingers　pass　with　pleasure　over　the　ball　of　the　thumb；　or　they　move　spasmodically；　nervously；　impatiently　and　fearfully；　or　they　open　and　close　with　characteristic　enjoyment　like　the　paws　of　cats　when　the　latter　feel　quite　spry。

Closer　observation　will　show　that　toes　reveal　a　great　deal；　particularly　among　women　who　wear　rather　fine　shoes　and　hence　can　move　their　feet　with　greater　ease。　In　anger；　when　they　cannot；　because　it　would　be　suggestive；　stamp　their　feet；　the　women　press　their　toes　closely　to　the　ground。　If　they　are　embarrassed　they　turn　the　sole　of　their　shoe　slightly　inwards　and　make　small　curves　with　the　point　on　the　ground。　Impatience　shows　itself　through　alternating　and　swinging　pressure　of　heel　and　toe；　repeated　with　increasing　rapidity；　defiance　and　demand　through　raising　the　toes　in　such　a　way　that　the　sole　is　directly　forward　and　the　foot　rests　only　on　the　heel。　Sensuality　is　always　indicated　when　the　foot　is　put　forward　and　the　shin　bone　lightly　stretched　out；　when　all　the　toes　are　drawn　in　toward　the　sole　just　as　the　cat　does　when　she　feels　good。　What　women　do　not　say　in　words　and　do　not　express　in　their　features　and　do　not　indicate　in　the　movement　of　their　hands；　they　say　with　their　feet；　the　inner　experience　must　express　itself　externally　and　the　foot　most　betrays　it。

In　conclusion　it　ought　to　be　kept　in　mind　that　the　hands　of　all　　those　people　who　claim　to　be　hard　workers　but　who　really　try　to　live　without　work；　i。　e。　thieves；　gamblers；　etc。；　ought　to　be　carefully　examined。　Concerning　the　value　of　graphology　see　my　‘‘Manual　for　Examining　Judges。''


TITLE　B。　THE　CONDITIONS　FOR　DEFINING　THEORIES。

Topic　I。　THE　MAKING　OF　INFERENCES。

Section　22。


The　study　of　the　human　soul　as　psychology；　has　for　its　subject　the　whole　stream　of　conscious