154 PHYSICAL EXPRESSION. 



CHAPTER IX. 



POSTURES OF THE UPPER EXTREMITY. 



Method of examination Anatomy The convulsive hand con- 

 trasted with the hand in fright The feeble hand and the 

 hand in rest The straight extended hand, normal Applica- 

 tion of the principles of analysis Straight extended hand 

 with the thumb drooped The nervous hand, seen in art 

 Energetic hand the antithesis of the nervous hand Table 

 giving analysis of postures, and application of the principles 

 Principles of analysis Anatomical analysis Small parts 

 contrasted with large parts Interdifferentiation Collateral 

 differentiation Symmetry Excitation of weak centres 

 General excitement or weakness Analogy Antithesis 

 Fallacies Methods of determining whether a posture is the 

 outcome of the spontaneous action of the nerve-centres. 



I PROPOSE here to speak of postures of the arm, 

 forearm, and hand. The postures that have been 

 frequently observed in actual life will be described, 

 and their significance will be discussed afterwards. 

 I have made observations upon these points in 

 some thousands of subjects in healthy subjects, 

 and among my patients, males, females, and chil- 

 dren. I have, as the result of these observations, 

 been led to accept certain postures of the upper 

 extremity as expressions of certain conditions of 

 the individual, as physical signs, or objective ob- 



