Very narrow Nails (Plate V., Part II.), show spinal weakness, and when extremely curved and very thin they indicate curvature of the spine and great delicacy of the constitution.
When the Nails appear very flat and inclined to lift themselves up from the flesh towards their outer edge, the threatened danger is towards paralysis, and still more so when they look like a shell and are pointed towards the base (Plate V., Part II.). When these Nails are without any signs of moons, and whitish or bluish in colour, the disease is in a very advanced stage.
Large "Moons" always denote strong action of the heart and rapid circulation of the blood, but when unusually large they indicate too much pressure on the heart, rapidity in its beat, the valves over-strained and danger of bursting some blood vessel in the heart or in the brain.
Small "Moons" indicate the reverse of this; they always denote poor circulation, weak action of the heart and anæmia of the brain.
When close to death the "Moons" are the first to take on a bluish look, and later on the entire Nail becomes blue or almost black in colour.
The Mounts of the Hand (Plate VI., Part II.) vary in the most remarkable manner in accordance with the character and dispositions of races and their different temperaments.
In almost all the Southern and more emotional races, these Mounts are more noticeable than those belonging to Northern countries. It has been observed that all people with the Mounts apparent or prominent are more swayed by their feelings and emotions than those people who have flat palms and undeveloped Mounts.
The names given to the Mounts of the Hand are those also given to the seven principal planets that sway the destiny of our earth, viz., the Sun, Moon, Venus, Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn.
These names were given to the Mounts by the Greek students of this subject, and were associated by them with the qualities attributed to these seven planets, such as:
Venus = Love, sensuality and passion. Mars = Vitality, courage, fighting, etc. Mercury = Mentality, commerce, science. Moon = Imagination, romance, changeability. Sun = Brilliancy, fruitfulness, success. Jupiter = Ambition, power, domination. Saturn = Reserve, melancholy, seriousness.