STRAIGHT HAND WITH THUMB DROOPED. 161 



Now, the first degree of deviation from this ortho- 

 extended hand, which is the type of strength, is 

 seen in the posture of the thumb metacarpal bone. 

 The " ortho-extended hand with thumb drooped " 



Fig. 23. The Straight Extended Hand with Thumb drooped. 



this is a departure from the normal in the direction 

 of weakness, the first and most mobile, and the most 

 specialized bone of the metacarpus being adducted, 

 as in the convulsive hand, the feeble hand, and the 

 hand in rest. This is often seen in a man who is 

 strong and well, but tired with a day's work. 



Fig. 24. Hand intermediate between the Hand in Rest and the Straight Hand. 



The two next modes of expression by hand pos- 

 tures that have to be described are those which 

 earliest attracted my especial attention. It was 

 the clinical value of a knowledge of the " nervous 

 hand " that encouraged me to pursue these investi- 

 gations on expression. 



Having during some years given special study to 

 the conditions of the nerve-system in children, my 



M 



