1 phalanx. Why is the thumb most often broken?

3. Identification and analysis of a person’s problem area using the fingers of the back of the hand

Having become familiar with the basics of the primary elements and their manifestations on the phalanges of the fingers, without which further development of the material is impossible, we will move on to a direct acquaintance with the techniques and methods for determining past, current and future events in a person’s life.

The technique of identifying the problem area using the fingers of the back of the hand is the basis of this article, since it most fully helps to identify and understand the causes of problems that prevent a person from putting into practice his ideas, goals, talents and abilities.
Vedic palmistry explains this by saying that the backs of our fingers show current events, the color of the phalanges of which changes depending on the connection with the outside world, in contrast to the lines on the palm itself, which determine the main milestones of a person’s destiny. In relation to this technique, the fingers point directly at the very problem area in a person’s activity, and the color of each phalanx individually determines the root cause of emerging problems in this area, identifying and removing which can help a person avoid future failures.

The third section will consist of two main topics: the manifestation of the primary elements and energies of the planets on the phalanges of the fingers of the back of the hand, and the identification and analysis of the problem area on the fingers based on the primary elements already discussed. But before moving on to considering these techniques, I will remind you of the main characteristics of the primary elements, which, for ease of further use, are summarized in the table below:

3.1. Manifestation of the primary elements of the universe and the energy of the planets on the phalanges of the fingers of the back of the hand

The primary elements of the Universe and their derivatives - the energies of the planets - are present on any phalanx of the back of the hand.
They can appear either simultaneously, coloring, for example, the first, second or third phalanges in the uniform color of a certain primary element, or vice versa, each primary element can be present independently on any of the 12 phalanges of the four fingers and 2 phalanges of the thumb.

Since in the second case, the interpretation of the primary elements present in the areas of human activity will be difficult, Vedic palmists developed a system of dividing the phalanges into zones of responsibility, with the help of which the problem area is identified in three main directions: BASE-MEANS-GOAL

Figures 21 show photographs of the hands of people with “favorable” primary elements on the phalanges of the fingers. In the first picture there is the primary element water in the “Base” zone, indicating that a person will have success in all his endeavors.
Water in the “Goal” zone will tell you that this person sets himself obviously achievable goals that will lead him to profit and income, fully ensuring the material claims of the owner of the hand.

In the second example, the same areas of responsibility are loaded with the primary element earth, which indicates stability and stability in social and financial situation. Since the fingers in both cases are loaded with the same type of energies of the primary elements, and are manifested in the same areas of responsibility, the cardinal difference in the interpretations will be that in the first example the person will strive to realize himself more materially, “selling” his skills , abilities and skills, deriving good income from such activities.
The person in the second example will value stability in the family and stability in the social position, which he will always strive for, while having little material desires and aspirations.

And now, after familiarizing yourself with simple examples, let's move on to consider more complex cases in which areas of responsibility are loaded with various primary elements and energies of the most negative planets, which greatly influence a person, calling for a change in their usual way of life.

Figure 22 shows, perhaps, one of the most interesting photographs in terms of the manifestation of negative energies - the back of the fingers of a drug addict with 10 years of experience.

As you can see, on all phalanges the girl has negative energies of the most “sinister” planets - Rahu and Ketu, in their most unfriendly manifestation.
The presence of pure Ketu energy in the “Base” and “Means” zones indicates that a person, through his actions, creates obstacles to life path, as a result of which he plunges himself into poverty, receiving all kinds of hardships, which result in a loss of interest in life and a feeling of hopelessness. In the “Goal” zone, on the contrary, there is a mixture of the primary element of earth and the energy of Rahu, which in combination is also unfavorable, since the earth calls for stability, and Rahu spoils all its favorable properties, rooting “rahanized” ideas in the human mind. Ultimately, this mixture gives a desire for stability in engaging in ungodly activities, which will be expressed in our case in the further use of narcotic and alcohol-containing substances.

Based on this, we can say with confidence that as long as the phalanges in the “Goal” zone are covered with the energy of Rahu, a person will not be able to give up his addictions, since he sees in them the purpose and meaning of his life.

Figure 23 is also interesting for consideration, but from the position of manifestation on the first phalanges of the most limiting planet and the complex interaction of various primary elements on the third phalanges of the fingers.
The presence of Saturn’s energy in the “Goal” zone indicates that a person is limited in his goals and is experiencing deep mental suffering. But, despite this, such an effect is ultimately quite favorable, since it brings the mind into a state of turning inward, to analyzing one’s actions and desires, which helps to focus on the activities of the soul and stimulates the desire for spiritual improvement.

In the “Base” zone on the third phalanges of the fingers you see the presence of various primary elements, which indicate that a person, despite the need and deprivation in the psycho-emotional plane, is trying to find himself and succeed in life.

From the above figure it is clear that the energy of Saturn is mixed with the primary element air on the second and third phalanges of the middle finger, indicating that the most fateful and at the same time the most limiting impact will be directed on a person’s career activity. Due to the fact that the “Base” phalanx of the middle finger is loaded with these energies, it can be said that the owner of the hand is currently not allowed to improve his career position, since the primary element air in combination with the energy of Saturn leads to a loss in determination material desires, and temporarily blocks a person’s abilities and capabilities, which are reflected by the same energies on the phalanx of the “Means”.

Familiarization with the manifestations of other energies present on the phalanges of the fingers in the “Base” zone is impossible without considering the following topic, which will teach you to identify problem areas of activity with the help of your fingers and, with the help of the primary elements present on the phalanges, interpret them, finding the root causes that lead to the data problems.

3.2. Identification of the problematic area of ​​human activity using the fingers of the back of the hand and its analysis based on the primary elements present on the phalanges

Before we begin to consider this technique, it is necessary to remember what each finger of our hand is responsible for.

According to Vedic concept finger of Jupiter is responsible for education, as well as for the wisdom acquired through this knowledge, understanding of the purpose and meaning of life.
Finger of Saturn is responsible for a person’s career activities.
Apollo's finger, being responsible for a person’s social status and social position, has some other meanings. So for a woman, on the passive hand, the ring finger symbolizes the father, and on the active hand, the husband. For a man, the same finger on the passive hand symbolizes a father or brother, and on the active hand, it symbolizes the boss, on whom his social position will depend.
Mercury Finger responsible for communications and children.
A thumb - for feelings, love and relationships in marriage.

The technique for determining the problem area, as unusual as it may sound for palmists, is based on sensations.
In order to identify the problem area that worries a person, it is necessary to examine all the fingers of the hand, including the thumb, and find the weakest finger on the hand, which is noticeable and gives a feeling of emptiness, porosity, dryness or weakness.

After this, it is necessary to correlate the problematic finger with the area of ​​activity for which it is responsible, and analyze the primary elements and energies of the planets on it, which will indicate the causes of the problems that arise.

In view of the fact that it is initially somewhat difficult to look for weakened, dry, porous or damaged fingers using this technique, for visualization and comparison I provided a standard - harmoniously developed fingers, which are located in the second photograph of Figure 24. Using it and comparing with those problematic With the fingers that will be placed below, you will eventually understand this technique and will easily see the problem present in human activity.

Well, now let’s begin to consider special cases and use practical examples to analyze the problems that each of the five weakened fingers creates separately.

Problems in the field of activity of Jupiter

In order to correctly assess which of the fingers in the photographs of Figure 25 are the weakest on your hands, try to compare these pictures with the harmoniously developed fingers of Figure 24.

Method comparative analysis of all fingers, it can be seen that in the first photograph of Figure 25, the finger of Jupiter is the weakest, it creates a feeling of a certain detachment, emptiness and “cloggedness”, and in the second picture it is failed, and in its “Base” it has a porous structure.
Therefore, in relation to this technique of reading information, we can say with confidence that these people currently have problems with the area of ​​​​activity for which Jupiter is responsible.
But, since the planet Jupiter, manifested in the finger, carries many meanings that can be interpreted differently depending on the signs of the hand, to facilitate the search for interpretations, the Vedic system is used, which reports that Jupiter is responsible for obtaining knowledge, education in in general and wisdom, as the final understanding of life and its meaning.

After the most problematic finger on the hand has been found, the next step in applying this technique will be to determine the primary elements and energies of the planets on it, which will answer one of the main questions - what ultimately caused the problems that arose?

To answer this question, let’s analyze the second photograph of the hand in Figure 25 and the separate footnote of Jupiter’s finger in the third photograph, where, for convenience, the primary elements present on it are described.
Based on the analysis of the primary elements on the finger, it is clear that the “Base” phalanx is loaded with the primary element air, the “Means” phalanx is loaded with the primary element earth, and the “Goal” phalanx is loaded with the primary element fire.
Knowing that the finger of Jupiter in the complex is responsible for education, and also having information about the meaning of the primary elements, we proceed to a practical interpretation of this situation.

The porosity of the structure of the “Base” phalanx and the primary element of air present on it will be decisive, as they will indicate that the main problem is that the education received earlier does not correspond only to material claims this person, but also the knowledge that management requires of this employee.
All this together carries with it a lack of confidence in oneself and one’s strengths, which will require involvement in mastering new material and mobilization of mental and psychological strength in order to meet accepted standards for working in a given company.

The primary element earth on the phalanx of “Means” tells us that the owner of the hand does not sit and wait “by the sea for weather”, but tries to develop and acquire the special knowledge and skills necessary for work.

The primary element fire on the “Goal” phalanx will tell you that the current situation does not suit the person, which causes great emotional suffering and internal anxiety.

In this example, we examined in great detail, step by step, the technique of identifying a problem area using a finger, so in the future, in order not to repeat myself, I will dwell only on the main points and nuances that will arise when analyzing certain fingers.
I also want you to understand, despite the fact that we are considering in detail one, the weakest finger on the hand, this does not mean at all that we do not need to take into account the remaining fingers and the primary elements present on them. According to the method described above, a weakened finger will be the root cause of “all troubles” and will negatively affect all areas of human life. As for this example, then it is easy to notice from the primary elements present on the middle finger that problems in the sphere of Jupiter will be reflected in the sphere of activity of Saturn, that is, they will affect a person’s career.

Problems in Saturn's field of activity

Fig.26

From the photographs of people's hands shown in Figure 26, it is clear that the most problematic fingers are the Saturn fingers.
In the first photo, the middle finger in its middle and upper part is attracted to the ring finger, as if seeking support and stability in it, indicating that it is very difficult for a person to walk along career ladder, and the “unfavorable” primary elements present on this finger further aggravate the current situation, pointing to a failed career and vain expectations from it. But since people receive fingers with such inclinations by fate at birth, only “favorable” primary elements on these phalanges, such as water, earth or the energy of the Sun, can save such a situation in their career.
On women's hands, a similar tilt of the middle finger indicates that the owner of the hand is tired of making her way in life on her own, so she is looking for security, support and stability from her husband.

In the second photograph of Figure 26, it is easy to notice that the upper phalanx of the Saturn finger is, as it were, constricted at its base, arches back and deviates towards the ring finger, creating obstacles to the normal exit of energy from the finger. Due to the fact that the “Goal” phalanx is overtightened, we can say with confidence that the person does not see further prospects in work, since the blocked place creates a threat to the goal in career activity.
Such a person, while working, does not see his future, and this happened because on the remaining two phalanges of the finger there are the primary elements of air, indicating a low assessment of work and disappointment in this enterprise.

Problems in Apollo's area of ​​activity

Determining the true cause of problems in Apollo’s field of activity is, on the one hand, somewhat difficult, but on the other, quite interesting. This is explained by the multivariate interpretations carried by the most positive planet, the Sun, which in astrology and Vedic palmistry is responsible not only for human activity in society, social status, prosperity and leadership, but also for a number of specific meanings.
So, for a woman, for example, the ring finger on the passive hand symbolizes the father, and on the active hand, the husband. For a man, the same finger on the passive hand symbolizes a father or brother, and on the active hand, it symbolizes the boss, on whom his social position will depend.
Therefore, having such an extensive list of interpretations, the correct selection becomes obvious desired value for each case separately, strictly depending on the hand with which the information is read and the gender of the client, which we will now analyze in detail using two examples in Figure 27. We will consider the interpretation of the first case only from the position of social status, and the second from the position of relationships with the girl's father and husband.

In the first picture, Apollo’s finger stands out for its weakness, porosity and “sinkiness” relative to the other fingers of this hand. Since the ring finger recedes into the background, as if hiding behind the other, stronger fingers, at the level of implementation it gives the girl dissatisfaction with her social status and the positions she occupies at work.
As a result, it turns out that no matter how well the girl worked, until now she has not been able to reveal all the talents and abilities inherent in her by nature, and for quite a long time she remained unnoticed and not properly appreciated by her superiors.

In the second example, the weakened finger of Apollo stands out, seeking support in the finger of Saturn. Even without knowing anything about the primary elements of the Universe and their manifestation on the hands, and guided only by classical palmistry, it becomes clear that such a combination of fingers indicates fatigue from the current circumstances and problems in the parental family, if the combination occurs on the passive hand, or problems with the husband - if the presence of exactly the same combination on the active hand.

Since in this case we are considering the girl’s passive hand and analyzing the situation that is developing in the parental family, the most revealing here will be the second phalanx of Apollo’s finger, loaded with the primary element of air mixed with the energy of Ketu. Knowing that the air gives emptiness, and the energy of Ketu gives all kinds of deprivations, then this combination in the complex is interpreted as the loss (death) of the father, which ultimately happened in the life of this girl. If only the primary element of air were present on the phalanx, not diluted with the energy of Ketu, then this combination would be interpreted as the father’s non-participation in the life and fate of the owner of the hand.

For a complete analysis and better understanding of the problems in Apollo’s field of activity based on the primary elements, let’s imagine that exactly the same combination with Apollo’s finger is present on the girl’s active hand.
As you already know, this finger on the active hand will symbolize the situation not in the parental family, but in your own family, in this case talking about the development of relations with your husband. Since a weakened ring finger indicates a present problem, a complete analysis of the primary elements that are present on this finger will help us figure out what exactly is happening in a girl’s life.
The primary element air on the “Base” phalanx indicates a problematic relationship with her husband, in which there is no harmony and mutual understanding. The air and energy of Ketu on the “Remedies” phalanx together lead to loss of money in the family and disappointment, despite all the girl’s attempts to stabilize and somehow strengthen the position of the family. The element of fire, although not clearly manifested on the “Target” phalanx, is nevertheless present on it, indicating that the girl is under constant emotional stress, which can lead to a nervous breakdown with all the ensuing consequences.

At the moment, the situation in the family is such that the girl is forced to treat her husband for alcohol addiction, which undoubtedly affects all areas of the relationship: in terms of material desires, lack of love, affection and care; in terms of funds - loss of money for periodic treatment in a drug treatment clinic; In terms of goals, there is always present emotional tension, as well as difficulties and fatigue from such a family life.

Problems in the field of activity of Mercury

The finger of Mercury in Vedic palmistry is responsible for all kinds of communications, connections, speech, intelligence, the ability to transmit and perceive information, and also controls the desire for education and scholarship.
Accordingly, a problematic or weakened little finger will have a complex effect on all these qualities, giving them a negative connotation and exaggerating its inherent positive properties.

In the examples given in Figure 28, I show photographs of problematic little fingers, but since you are already familiar with the technique of interpreting the primary elements, it will not be difficult for you to identify the reasons that arose in these people.

The only thing I would like to dwell on here is the presence of negative energies of the planets on the little fingers, since they are directly related to human speech and activity, therefore they can most psychologically hurt other people and cause them heartache, which will not have the best effect on the owner of the hand.

Thus, the presence of the primary element fire on any of the phalanxes will give caustic, angry and aggressive speech, which will be expressed in thoughts (fire on the “Goal” phalanx), words (fire on the “Means” phalanx) and actions (fire on the “Base” phalanx ), which will lead to the destruction of favorable relationships with others.

The presence of Rahu’s energy on the “Goal” phalanx will give an inability to tolerate accusations against oneself, which will lead to “rahanized” goals in a person’s mind.
Rahu on the “Means” phalanx will attract the desire to constantly argue, which will cause tactless and aggressive behavior, and Rahu on the “Base” phalanx will root in a person’s mind the idea that everything can be achieved with the help of labor activity dishonest labor, manipulating people around.

Problems in the field of activity of Venus

Analysis of the thumb according to the primary elements of the Universe and the energies of the planets present on it is easiest when applying the above-described technique to it.
Since the thumb, from the point of view of Vedic palmistry, has only one meaning and is responsible for a person’s feelings, the primary elements that color the finger in one color or another indicate the attitude towards a marriage partner, love and the prospects for life together.

Fig.29

Pictures 29 show photographs of thumbs different people with the various primary elements present on them, as well as with the energies that load the planets depending on their development certain situations in love and relationships.
So in the first photograph of this picture, the entire thumb is loaded with the primary element air, which indicates that there is emptiness in the relationship at the current moment in time, and the owner of the finger does not see prospects for their further continuation. But, despite the current situation, the girl will continue to restore the relationship, due to the fact that there are no “negative” energies on the finger that could lead to their end.

In the second picture, the finger is loaded with the primary element water, indicating that there is harmony, respect and mutual understanding in the relationship.

The third picture is one of the most negative, since it contains the energy of Saturn, bringing restrictions to existing relationships, and the energy of Rahu, bringing disagreements to family life. The interpretation is clear - the final destruction of relationships, through mutual struggle, claims and quarrels, leading to a breakdown in relationships and final divorce, which will leave mutual grievances, division of jointly acquired property and various kinds of claims against each other.

In the fourth picture, the finger is loaded with the primary element fire, which introduces various kinds of quarrels into joint relationships that arise due to the touchiness, aggressiveness and anger of the owner of the hand.

In the fifth picture, the thumb is loaded with the most positive energy - the energy of the Sun, which communicates the most sublime feeling on earth - the feeling of love and infatuation.

Assessing prospects for resolving the problem area
Fig.30

To determine the time frame of events when determining the problem area, it is necessary to remember the rule that says that the passive hand determines real events that are happening at the moment, and the active hand determines events that will occur in the future.

In relation to the technique described above, on both hands a comparison is made of the fingers responsible for the same types of activities: Jupiter is compared with Jupiter, Saturn with Saturn, Apollo with Apollo, Mercury with Mercury, and the thumb of the passive hand is compared with the thumb of the active hand. With the help of this comparison of fingers and the primary elements on them, it becomes clearly clear what will happen in the near future with the problem area that is currently causing concern to a person.

As an example, Figure 30 shows a comparison between a passive and active hand. young man, who currently has problems in his career.
The passive hand, speaking about the present, has a weakened Saturn finger, with the primary elements of air and fire loaded on it on the “Base” and “Means” phalanges, which together leads to destruction and conflicts in the career through the fault of the owner of the hand.

In order to assess the prospects for career activity in the future, we look at the same finger of the active hand, which has become even weaker and is loaded mainly with the primary element of air. This combination indicates that a person may be left without work in the future, the cause of which was aggressive behavior and a negative attitude towards work in the present.

Also indicative in this situation is Apollo’s finger, which is responsible for social status, which, as can be seen in comparison with the passive hand, became weaker and began to seek support from the middle finger, helplessly leaning on it. In other words, a person will destroy his destiny with his own hands, lose his job and lose a certain social status that he currently has.

4. Technique for determining the exact time of occurrence of events using the phalanges of the back of the hand

Learning this technique will allow you to high accuracy read information about events that occurred over the past year in a person’s life and will occur over the next 12 months with an accuracy of 1-2 days before their occurrence.
The technique for obtaining this information is almost similar to the technique for determining the causes in a problem area and is also based on the primary elements of the Universe and the energies that the planets leave on our phalanges, but at its core it has some differences. The main difference is that when determining the problem area, the predominant color is determined into which the phalanges are loaded, whereas when determining the day of the event, all the energies present on the phalanges are taken into account, which are read in strict accordance with the time scales adopted for this technique.

To determine the day of an event based on the primary elements, palmists have developed two schemes for distributing time along the phalanges of the fingers, one of which allows you to divide the fingers into 12 months, and the second - the phalanges of the fingers into the number of days in a month. As a result, in order to determine an event, it is necessary to first identify the primary elements present on the phalanx, and then apply two time scales to all received energies, where with the help of the first we find out the month, and the second - the day of the event.
At the same time, do not forget that the passive hand will indicate the month and day of the past 12 months, relative to the present time, and the active hand will indicate the month and day of the future 12 months. When determining events that are occurring at the present moment in time, information can be read from both hands at once, since the phalanx of the passive hand will point simultaneously to the past and present, and the same phalanx of the active hand will point to the future.

For example, if the month of May is now underway, then in order to find out what event will happen on May 15, you can look simultaneously at the phalanx of May of the passive and active hand, interpreting events based on the expressiveness of the primary elements on them.

The scheme for dividing the phalanges of the fingers of both hands into months is based on the distribution of 24 months: 12 months of the past and 12 months of the next year, which are distributed in strict accordance with Figure 31.
With this division, the nail phalanges of the middle fingers will correspond to December, the second phalanges of the middle fingers will correspond to January, and the third phalanges of the middle fingers will correspond to February.
The nail phalanges of the index fingers are in March, the second phalanges of the index fingers are in April, the third phalanges of the index fingers are in May.
The nail phalanges of the ring fingers are in June, the second phalanges of the ring fingers are in July, the third phalanges of the ring fingers are in August.
The nail phalanges of the little fingers will correspond to September, the second phalanges of the little fingers will correspond to October, and the third phalanges of the little fingers will correspond to November.

The scheme for dividing the phalanges of the fingers into days is based on a uniform distribution along the phalanx of the number of days in a certain month, in which the beginning of the month will always be at the top, and its end at the bottom of the phalanx, as shown in the first photograph of Figure 32.

It is necessary to take into account that it is worth distributing days among phalanges based on their number in a month: in January, March, May, July, August, October and December - for 31 days; in April, June, September and November - for 30 days, and in February - for 28 (29) days, depending on the leap year.

Having become familiar with the theory this method, let's now use the example of the fingers of the hand to analyze how the dating described above is used and how events are read based on the primary elements and energies of the planets that are present on these fingers.

The photographs in Figure 32 show the index and middle fingers on the young man's passive hand. When dating is applied to them, it turns out that you and I will analyze the events that happened to this person over the course of six months, from December to May last year.
Having determined the primary elements and energies of the planets present on these fingers, and applying to them the dating of the division of the phalanges into days, we will obtain events that occurred on certain days of the months we are considering. The interpretation of these events will be based on the knowledge that we have already become acquainted with in the previous, third, section, when determining the reasons that prevent implementation in the problem area, but it is more labor-intensive, since it will require a description of each energy present in the phalanx.

In relation to the third photograph of Figure 32, where the days, primary elements and energies of the planets are described, it is clear that December will be the brightest and most eventful, since the largest amount of various types of energies is present on the phalanx of December.

Interpreting each energy separately, it is clear that from December 1 to 4, the energy of Saturn will introduce restrictions into a person’s life, which may result in failure to get what he wants in various fields: in career, in love or in relationships.
During this period of time, no matter what a person does, no matter what actions he performs, he will not receive satisfaction from his activities.
The period from December 4 to December 9 will be somewhat easier, and the emerging element of air will contribute to the fuss associated with travel or business trips, which will also increase expenses, affecting material well-being.
The primary element of fire, present on the phalanx from December 9 to 11, will talk about quarrels and clarification of relationships with a partner, which will naturally lead to emptiness in the relationship from December 11 to 13, and will not affect the general psychological state of the owner of the hand in the best way.
The primary element of earth on the phalanx from December 13-15 will stabilize relationships in the family and strengthen the position of the work team, which will allow, albeit for a short time, a break from the troubles that have piled up.
In the future, the fire will again bring destruction to relations from December 15 to 17, which will then be replaced by longer-term stability and truce in relations until December 26.
From December 26 to December 31, a person will again face problems in relationships, which will be expressed in verbal attacks on his spouse. Analyzing the December phalanx, it is easy to notice that for the most part it is loaded with two primary elements - air and fire, which will bring emptiness into relationships and quarrels leading to their destruction through the fault of the owner of the hand.

The beginning of the next month, from January 1 to 4, is loaded with the negative energy of Ketu, which will lead to a feeling of hopelessness, obstacles in the development of harmonious family relationships, or will result in a minor illness during this time period.
From January 4 to January 24, the primary element of water is present on the phalanx, bringing unplanned profits associated with the return of debts or a bonus based on the results of the previous year. But since this primary element is distributed throughout almost the entire phalanx, the money will come gradually throughout the entire time period, and not just once, for example, on one of the dates of this month.

After profit there will be stability in family relationships and in work, since in the period from January 24 to February 6, the primary element of earth is present on the phalanges.
From February 6 to 18, the energy of Ketu will bring a person a disease for which it will take a long time to be treated, and the primary element of air, present on the phalanx from February 18 to 28, will tell you that the treatment carried out will not completely restore the human body, as a result of which, during this period, You will have to spend additional money on purchasing expensive medications and appropriate treatment.

From March 1 to March 3, the primary element of water will again bring profit, but unlike January, the payment of money will be one-time, and will presumably take place on one of these dates.
From March 3 to March 12, the primary element of water mixes with the energy of the air, indicating that spending money will alternate with profit. In practice, this combination occurs when a person saves money for a long time to purchase some expensive thing and buys it, or takes money on credit from a bank, realizing that, despite receiving the money, they will still have to be returned with interest.

The primary element of air from March 12 to 14 will tell you about movements associated with a business trip, after which from March 14 to April 2 you will have to work hard and hard in order to follow all the instructions of your leadership.
Fulfilling these obligations in the quarry will result in an increase in material well-being, since the primary element of water will bring a well-deserved bonus in the period from April 2 to April 23.
From April 23 to May 5, you will have to work a lot again, and go on a business trip again from May 5 to 7, which will ultimately lead to a promotion in your career, as indicated by the energy of the Sun present on the phalanx from May 7 to 9.

The energy of the Sun is always interpreted positively and, depending on the situation on the phalanxes, it can indicate either a promotion in one’s career, or an emerging love or infatuation.
In the future, from May 9 to May 31, the primary element of air will give the person we are considering vanity and waste of money, which will result in going on a planned vacation or a long business trip.

Thus, having examined in some detail six months of a person’s life, you should understand how the primary elements and energies of the planets present on the phalanges work, as well as how they can be used to read information on events of the past, present and future with high accuracy. Despite the fact that in the above example I described the interpretation of the primary elements in relation to the life of a given person, you, nevertheless, must understand that the events I described are applicable only to this person, and in other hands these same primary elements may already carry a completely different event meaning.

In order to figure out how to interpret events with high accuracy in the hands of other people, I advise you to first, together with your clients, thoroughly analyze the events of the past using the example of 1-2 months, where you will understand what special attention is paid to and what priorities the data owners set in their lives hands
And only then, based on the information received, seeing various combinations of primary elements and taking into account situations with problem areas, you will be able to most accurately identify, predict and interpret past, present and future events.

5. Techniques for using primary elements and energies of the planets when answering questions on areas of interest to life

The study of this technique is of particular interest, since it is not only new and has not previously been described in any literature, but also unusual in its method of application, which makes it even more valuable for us palmists.

The practical application of the technique of answering questions of interest to a person allows using the phalanges of the fingers to obtain reliable information on almost all areas of life, including learning about parents, husbands, wives, bosses, children, brothers, sisters, etc. In addition, using this technique, you can read events that will happen in your clients’ own lives, as well as answer questions that interest us all: about money, career advancement, passing exams, love, and much, much more. .

This technique, like all the above-described methods of obtaining information, is based on the theory of primary elements and energies of the planets in their practical application to certain fingers of our hand, in strict accordance with the questions asked to clients.
At the same time, the technique of answering questions of interest is generalizing, since in it you will have to combine two previously studied techniques - the technique of identifying and analyzing the problem area and the technique of accurately determining events along the phalanges of the fingers of the back of the hand, in order to most fully and accurately answer to the questions asked to you.

The areas of life that interest a person can be divided into two main areas - information that the client wants to know about his activities (career, communications, social status, education, etc.) and information about the people who surround him (relatives, children, bosses, spouses, etc.).
Since we discussed the first direction of a person’s interests in great detail in the third section of this article, now we will also thoroughly analyze how to obtain information from the backs of the fingers about loved ones who interest your client.

There are two ways to read this information from the client’s hands.
The first method is quite crude, since it transmits general information to all relatives at once, without indicating the cause of the problems of one or another loved one.
The second method is the most accurate, since it allows you to view the person you are asking for in three main areas: in the area of ​​career activity, in the area of ​​means and in the area of ​​feelings.

Fig.33

The first method is based on the astrological distribution of planets among the phalanges of the fingers (Figure 18), which we briefly reviewed at the very end of the second section.
Therefore, knowing that each planet in the horoscope represents a separate personality that is associated with a certain precious stone, consisting of the primary elements of the Universe, in Figure 33 I indicated the exact distribution of close relatives according to the ideas of Vedic astrologers.

Thus, based on this diagram, the two phalanges of the thumb and the nail phalanx of the middle finger, associated with Venus, will symbolize the spouse. The nail phalanges of the index and ring fingers, associated with Jupiter, will represent the boss. The second phalanx of the index finger, the nail of the middle finger and the third phalanx of the ring finger, associated with Mars, will represent the brother. The third phalanx of the index finger and the first phalanx of the little finger, associated with the Moon, will symbolize the mother. The second phalanx of the middle finger and the third phalanx of the little finger, associated with Saturn, will represent the elders and elderly (grandparents). The third phalanx of the middle finger and the second phalanx of the little finger, associated with Mercury, will symbolize the uncle. The second phalanx of the ring finger, associated with the Sun, will symbolize the father on the passive hand, and the husband on the active hand.

When analyzing the back of the hand, it is necessary to remember that the principle of “multi-story” interpretations is applicable to the primary elements and energies of the planets, as in classical palmistry.
This means that the same primary elements, when collecting information using the first method, can work simultaneously on several levels at once, transmitting information about the causes in the problem area, the exact time of occurrence of events, general information about relatives, as well as about human health. That's why this method information collection is called rough, since it does not give a complete picture of events, due to the fact that it analyzes the predominant color in which one or two phalanges are loaded different fingers belonging to a specific relative.
For example, in order to determine what is happening with your client’s father at the present time, it is necessary to remove information about the primary element from the second phalanx of the ring finger of the passive hand, and in the case of the husband, from the second phalanx of the same finger of the active hand, as was demonstrated in the third section on the example of problems in the field of activity of Apollo.

To obtain the most complete information about loved ones, it is necessary to use the second method, which is traditionally considered more accurate. To use this technique, Vedic palmists slightly modified the previously studied scheme of dividing the phalanges into zones of responsibility (Figure 19), where some of the zones were adapted for the technique of answering questions of interest about loved ones.

Figure 34 shows a diagram of the distribution of areas of responsibility that must be used when applying the second method of answering questions about loved ones.

The third phalanges of the fingers in it are responsible for “WORK”, determining the attitude of the person being asked to work and career activities, as well as success and success in general.
The first phalanges are responsible for “FEELINGS”, indicating, depending on the primary elements and energies of the planets present on them, the activity of the senses and the attitude of the person being asked to close people.
The second phalanx in this scheme did not change their name and purpose.

As you have already noticed, in this case, not one phalanx is analyzed, as in the previously discussed method, but three at once, in three areas and areas of activity.
When applying the second method of answering questions about loved ones, it is necessary to take into account that each finger of the hand will no longer symbolize problem areas, but will denote close relatives. Thus, the index finger will be responsible for the mother or brother (sister), the middle finger for the uncle (aunt) or grandfather (grandmother), the ring finger for the father, husband or boss, and the little finger for the children.

When applied to the second method of removing information from your client’s hands, you look and analyze which primary elements will load his phalanges, depending on the connection of the person’s subtle energies with the people he is interested in.
According to Sergey Vladimirovich Serebryakov in his video lectures, if the client thinks about the person he is asking for, then the color of his phalanges will change, due to the fact that the client’s subtle body comes into contact with thin body the person about whom the information is being provided. As a result of such actions, the client’s phalanges will be loaded with the energy of this person, in strict accordance with his present activity, thoughts and prevailing emotions.

But in order for this technique to work, it is necessary to connect the subtle body of your client with the subtle body of another person, which is only possible with a good and high-quality connection at the level of our mind.
To do this, as a rule, the palmist is recommended to ask general questions about the person being asked or about a topic of interest to him, in order to make your client think about him as long as possible, which will ensure a better connection at the level of subtle energies.

It must be remembered that when working with women when applying this technique to them, there are certain nuances associated with their inability to focus on the same object for a long time, unlike men. Therefore, in order for the mobile female mind not to jump from one object to another in a short period of time, it is necessary to fix their mind on the requested object for as long as possible, while asking a large number of questions so that her phalanges are most fully loaded with the energy of another person.

Subsequently, the diagram of Figure 34 is applied to the phalanges, which will be loaded with new primary elements and energies of the planets, on the basis of which events about the requested object are interpreted. Since in this case all the client’s fingers will be built to match the person (or object) he is interested in, the interpretation of events will be based on previously learned techniques, with the help of which the newly discovered information will be analyzed.
Also, when interpreting, it is necessary to remember about the distribution of time on the hands, where the passive hand will tell about events that are happening at the present moment in time, and the active hand will tell about future events.

In order for you to understand how the second method of obtaining information about loved ones is used in practice, I propose to analyze the current situation in the family step by step using the example of a girl’s hands, which are presented in Figures 35 and 36.

Before you start answering questions about loved ones, you need to give the person a little time to rest, which is necessary for the previous information that you worked with earlier to “get away” from your client’s hands.
Only after this can we move on to answering her next question, since the subtle body of her mind will be ready to connect with the subtle body of the person about whom she is interested.

As an example, let's answer a question that almost always interests the fair sex, and suppose that we were asked about what is currently happening in the client's family and what is the situation with her husband?
Having received the question and understood what forecasts she ultimately wants to hear from you, you can begin to use the technique described above. In order for its phalanges to most fully convey necessary information and loaded with the energy of her husband, as you already know, you need to ask her a few general questions about her husband that will help connect both spouses on a subtle level.

The questions you ask about your husband can be as simple as: What is your husband's name? How old is he? What does he do? What food does he prefer? Does he like his job? Does he have a hobby? etc.
If you do everything correctly, you will see that the color of the fingers on her hand will change, as the phalanges will begin to adapt to her husband, displaying the situation in the family, but from the perspective of her husband’s perception of this situation. After all the fingers have adjusted to the husband and have been loaded with new primary elements, you can begin to answer the question asked.

Since the ring fingers of both hands are responsible for the husband, when using the second method of obtaining information, the primary elements on the finger responsible for the present are analyzed first, and then the ring finger of the future is analyzed.
Since the first phalanx of the ring finger of the passive hand, which is responsible for “Feelings,” is loaded primarily with two elements of the primary elements - fire and air, we can conclude that her husband is at the stage of sorting things out with someone, which will subsequently lead to their complete destruction.

The air on this phalanx also indicates that her husband does not see any further point in stabilizing the relationship and its further continuation. On the “Means” phalanx, the air will tell you that the husband is currently strapped for money, which also affects the owner of the hand through dissatisfaction with her current financial situation. The “Work” phalanx is loaded with the primary element of earth, reporting that the client’s husband has a stable job and a small income, which, however, does not satisfy both spouses.

As can be seen from the analysis of the finger responsible for the husband, on the phalanx of “Feelings” there is destructive energy that interferes with a peaceful life and causes anxiety to your client’s spouse.
When analyzing the remaining fingers of the passive hand, it is easy to notice that exactly the same negative destructive energies are present on the thumb of the passive hand, which is collectively responsible for wife, family, love and the development of relationships.
The final interpretation in this case will not be complicated, and will indicate that your client is currently having problems with her husband, since he does not see the point in continuing the previously established relationship and is trying his best to destroy it or divorce.

You don't have to be clairvoyant not to anticipate the following questions this woman will ask you: What will these quarrels lead to? Will I make peace with my husband? If so, how soon will the long-awaited reconciliation come? In order to answer questions asked, it is necessary to look at what kind of primary elements are present on the thumb and ring finger of the active hand, which will tell about what will happen over the next 12 months with the feelings of her husband.

Since the thumb of the active hand is loaded with the primary element air, we can conclude that feelings will cool down over time, anger, resentment and aggressiveness towards the spouse will fade into the background, but the relationship will be destroyed without the possibility of further restoration.
As for the spouse, in the future in the sphere of “Feelings” he will experience some calm and calm, due to the fact that the primary element of fire has left the nail phalanx of the ring finger, leaving mainly the primary element of earth, which will further stabilize his emotional sphere.
The second phalanx of the “Funds” sphere, loaded with the primary element of earth, will contribute to stabilization in the funds received, and the primary elements of air and earth, present on the “Work” phalanx, will tell you that a person will not be satisfied with relationships at work, despite the present stability in social status.

Knowing the history of this family, I can say with confidence that the primary element of earth on the second phalanx tells that the funds received from work will begin to satisfy her husband because after the divorce he will no longer have to spend money on maintaining the family, since all the money will go to satisfy only their own needs.
The primary elements of air and earth on the third phalanx indicate that, despite the divorce, the ex-spouses will still often have to clash, due to the fact that they work in the same organization, which will bring unnecessary fuss and worry to their work.

In the future, in order to answer the question of when the final discord in the relationship will occur, which will end in divorce through the court, it is necessary to analyze the phalanxes of the future, applying to them the technique of accurately determining the time of events. As can be seen from the analysis of the phalanxes of the active hand, only on one phalanx there are negative energies of Rahu and Saturn - just below the middle on the phalanx of January next year, indicating that in the period from January 18 to 24, either a trial is possible, or an event will occur that will put end of life together.

Despite the negative example I gave for consideration, you should understand how this technique works in practice and what special attention is paid when answering the questions that your potential clients will ask you. Since the technique is the same in its application, your main task is to initial stage will right choice finger, which will be used to read information on the primary elements to answer questions of interest. In addition, you must clearly understand what each individual phalanx of the finger means and is responsible for in order to clearly answer the question posed.

To help you master this technique in practice, and at the end of the description of this section, I will give the main points that will help you hone the above technique.

If you are asked a question about a child, then you need to analyze the primary elements that are present on the phalanges of the little finger. If, for example, the primary element of air is present on the third phalanges, then your client’s child is unemployed or does not have a stable social status. If air is present on the second phalanx, then he lacks funds, or he is very financially dependent on his parents. Air on the first phalanx will indicate that the child does not see himself in the future, so he needs to completely reconsider his attitude towards professional activity.

If you are asked a question about the mother, then you need to analyze the primary elements on the index finger, applying to it the diagram of distribution of areas of responsibility presented in Figure 34.

If you are asked a question about the correctness of the chosen direction in your professional activity, then you need to look for the energy of the Sun on the phalanges of your fingers, which will indicate success in the chosen direction. At the same time, it is very important to clarify with the client what kind of success he is interested in: in career activities or in social status, which will affect the choice of the finger from which information will be read. If the client is interested in career success, then we look at the middle finger, and if in social status, then the ring finger, analyzing the primary elements according to the previously discussed diagram of Figure 19. For example, the energy of the Sun on the ring finger, regardless of the phalanx on which it is present, will indicate that that a person will become a leader and achieve success in the direction in which he is currently going.

If you are asked a question about money, then you need to analyze the primary elements present on the middle finger. If the primary elements of air are present in the “Base”, “Goal” or “Means” zones, then, despite all the throwing and hassle in trying to earn them, there will not be much money. The determining factor in this case will be the second phalanx of the “Means” zone, which will indicate the final result in these desires and endeavors.

If you are asked a question about what will happen in one of the months of the next year, then to do this we analyze the phalanx of the active hand of the month that your client is interested in, applying to it the technique of accurately determining the time of events.

If you are asked a question about success in passing a future exam, then for this you need to analyze the primary elements in the “Means” zones, mainly on the index and middle fingers. If the primary element of air is present in the zone of these fingers, then the exam will be failed, and if this zone is loaded with the primary element of water or earth, the difficulties will be overcome and the exam will be successfully passed.

Each finger is divided into three phalanges. The first phalanx of the hand indicates thoughts, the second - the application of one's thoughts, and the third - basic needs. Full phalanges of the fingers bring out the rough side of nature, while thin phalanges indicate delicacy and sophistication. At the same time, it should be taken into account that fuller phalanges are associated with energy and enterprise, and thin ones are associated with a person’s weak and nervous character.

First Phalanx

The first phalanx of the finger includes the tip of the finger and the nail. The tips of the fingers, both on the hands and feet, are the limits of the limbs. They are the first to shiver and ache if the body is exposed to cold or illness. They give the palmist the first impression of a person and his nature, show how the subject perceives the world around him and what influence he himself has on the world.

Long first phalanges of fingers

Such people are intuitive, easy to learn and well organized. Their outlook on life is philosophical and religious to a greater extent than materialistic. These people enjoy mental activity, they love new ideas and are very entertaining.

Short first phalanges

Found in materialistic, practical and suspicious people. They understand only what can be touched, they have no inspiration and no sense of the influence of fate. They are too lazy to think and are not inclined to study and master new concepts.

Rounded fingertips

Such people do not like friction and disagreement. They look for beauty, truth in life and are often too trusting, this creative people open-minded, capable of making very wise, cunning, thoughtful, careful and honest decisions.

Pointed fingertips

Such people have a sharp mind and high intelligence, quick reactions. They get to the heart of things, quickly analyze the situation, but cannot see it as a whole. They instinctively react to others and instantly form their attachments and hostile attitudes. Once an opinion is formed, they act uncompromisingly in the future. As a result, they are unable to act diplomatically or see beyond appearances or find excuses in the behavior or attitudes of people they do not accept. They have excellent organizational and presentation skills, but they cannot cope with an excess of details.

Dreamers have very pointed fingertips. Such people are cautious, straightforward, and have their own ideas about the lifestyle that will suit them best. They are often very attractive in appearance, pay attention to their appearance and are very vain. They can often be an inspiration to others, but they lack the energy to do much for themselves and are not eager to do anything for others.

Spatula-shaped fingertips

Such fingertips are found in independent, sociable people who are constantly thinking about something. They can see the whole picture and put the pieces together, which is why they are scientists and lawyers, successful athletes and performers. They love to combine the fruits of their labors and thoughts, so they are often very enterprising and inventive craftsmen and engineers.

Square fingertips

People with such fingertips are down-to-earth, grounded, have rough manners and slow minds. Usually they are conformists, so they can be dogmatic and conservative, they love when justice is done. If the phalanxes are long, then these are usually good lawyers, bankers, clerks and advisers. They work well with documents and are able to take into account many details.

Profile of the first phalanx

Conical profile (Fig. 3.8)

People with a conical phalanx profile are very smart, but they also lack physical strength. They have a well-developed imagination. They are loving, gentle and deeply spiritual natures.

Rough finger profile (Fig. 3.9)

People with this finger are materialistic, sensual, grounded, self-indulgent and sometimes rude. If the phalanx of the finger is short, then they can be laborers, performers without imagination. When the phalanx is long, these gifted people are very tough in business and cannot be defeated in an argument.

Convex, drop-like horseman (Fig. 3.10)

In this case, people are sophisticated, and they have a well-developed sense of touch. They are smart, rarely lose or lose anything, are very receptive, have high intelligence and creative abilities. They have a well-developed sense of touch, which is very useful when sewing clothes, gardening, creating sculptures or playing the game. musical instruments. These inclinations are much more pronounced if on Apollo’s finger the shape of the first phalanx very clearly resembles a drop. Their character can be very bright and attention should be paid to the line of the head to determine if it slopes towards the Mount of the Moon, indicating a very receptive mind.

Upper, middle and lower phalanges

• The upper phalanx is associated with spiritual, emotional and mental needs.
• The middle phalanx is related to the application of ideas, practical implementation, and the activation of certain mechanisms.
• The lower phalanx relates to material matters and physical needs.

Middle phalanx of the finger

In the science of palmistry, this phalanx, its shape, length, and signatures are consistent with the pattern of the line of the Mind. It indicates a peculiarity of perception, the practical application of intellectual potential, and memory. At the same time, this is a reflection of the sphere of rationality, the ability to create and create something fundamentally new. The possibility of demonstrating one’s talents, as evidenced by the appearance of the middle phalanx, is absolutely rational and relates to the material sphere of life. The phalanx reflects a person’s realization in life, his objective, concrete, real consciousness.

In addition, the potential of the middle phalanx of the finger symbolizes the ability to accumulate life experience.

If necessary, a person retrieves this experience from his memory. According to Freud's theory, it is placed in the subconscious, which in chirology is symbolized by the upper part of the Mount of the Moon, and in astrology by Mercury/Virgo/6th house. As a rule, the line runs along this area of ​​the palm. When stored for a long time, without practical application, the experience settles in the subconscious, which, from the point of view of chirology, refers to the Mount of the Moon. The signatures of the Mount of the Moon - in astrology these correspondences relate to the Moon/Cancer/4th house - also indicate the ability to attract the subconscious, unless this experience is consciously suppressed. This ability to extract what is necessary is related in astrology to the properties of Mercury.

The properties of Mercury, the ruler of Gemini, differ from Mercury in Virgo in that they relate to the activation of perception. The representation of the fingers in the brain, in the corresponding zone of the cortex, extracts what is of interest from the outside world, and Virgo-Mercury integrates what has been collected and, if necessary, extracts it from memory. Virgo-Mercury sorts images, analyzes them and decides what specific material is needed for rational use.

But this work of Mercury in Virgo relates mainly to the realm of the senses; intelligence, analysis and synthesis capabilities are enabled with its help a little later. The completeness and completeness of this process is reflected in the drawing of the Mind line. The type of reaction and the completeness of its implementation in practice is indicated not only by the quality of the line of the Mind, but also by the appearance of the middle phalanges. From them you can even find out whether the experience will be used practically or theoretically. In this regard, it is necessary, somewhat looking ahead, to note that, based on my practical observations, I will describe the functions of Mercury/Uranus also in relation to the papillary lines.

The capabilities of the middle phalanx largely depend on the nail: intellectual capabilities depend on the subtlety of perception. In astrology, the middle phalanges correspond to the fixed cross and its zodiac signs Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius.

Long phalanges

Jupiter

• Upper: emotional, sensitive, religious.
• Average: practical, purposeful, ambitious.
• Bottom: talkative, inflexible, self-indulgent, vulgarly dressed, likes to give advice and lead.

Saturn

• Top: lonely, unsociable, reserved, suicidal.
• Average: Loner at work, cautious, mindful of money, interested in agricultural projects.
• Bottom: thrifty, distrustful, stingy.

Apollo

• Top: stress in people of art.
• Average: loves beauty, musical, wonderful designer, idealist.
• Bottom: loves luxury, makes money through art or entertainment, successful.

Mercury

• Top: knows how to think in abstractions, has a non-standard mind, loves to study, endowed with literary abilities.
• Average: rational, excellent businessman.
• Lower phalanx of the finger: restless, swindler and deceiver, skillful, but cunning and resourceful.

Short phalanges of fingers

Jupiter

• Top: materialist, limited, distrustful.
• Average: not ambitious enough, lazy.
• Lower: low self-esteem, hides from life, prefers to be alone with his interests.

Saturn

• Top: submissive, contented, calm, unperturbed character.
• Average: Inconspicuous, ignorant, time waster.
• Bottom: economical, thrifty, angry.

Apollo

• Top: lack of artistic taste and ideas.
• Middle phalanx: no inspiration or potential.
• Lower: lack of practical skills in art, construction or engineering.

Mercury

• Upper: lack of agility, lazy mind, dullness.
• Average: lack of initiative.
• Bottom: simplicity, gullibility.

What does the basal phalanx of the finger mean?

The structural features and signatures of the basal phalanx reveal a relationship to the material sphere. But the material in this case does not refer to a specific substance, but to the ability to assimilate it, to integrate into this material reality. The basal phalanges show how intensely the intellect evaluates what is probed by the nail phalanges and received by the middle phalanges. In astrology, the basal phalanges correspond to the signs of the cardinal cross - Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn.

The basal phalanges “solve” the question of material suitability or “penetrate” the real essence of things, the assessment of which begins with the nail phalanx of each finger.

The narrow, gentle beginning of the finger reveals talent for activity, a sense of reliability of facts and knowledge, sophistication of observations, critical perception of what is happening and literary talent.

A thickened basal phalanx speaks of insatiable material needs. Such people have insufficiently subtle feelings. They also lack intellectual mobility and the ability to conduct reasonable discussions.

The phalanges of the fingers are always considered in the ratio of their lengths.

A relatively long nail phalanx speaks of the spontaneity of assessments, the ability to express oneself, creative thinking, and spiritual mobility in the areas that this finger symbolizes. Intellectuals and thinkers have just such long nail phalanges.

The long middle phalanx reveals logical thinking, receptivity, thoughtfulness, natural understanding of the essence of things, fair criticism, the ability to speak, interpret words, conscious abilities of a creator and organizer, and the talent of a businessman in the areas that a particular finger symbolizes. At the same time, it is connected with the theme of human destiny - to collect experience.

A long, wide and fleshy molar phalanx indicates the ability to practically realize the inclinations characteristic of the upper phalanges of the fingers. It indicates significant power of action and implementation.

Fingers are used to perceive and embody external forces, and the lines on the fingers demonstrate the nature of these processes. These singatures can be compared to energy conductors.

Vertical lines on the basal and middle phalanx are normal. Through them, the signal is sent deep into the hand for processing. Clear, orderly, continuous and parallel longitudinal strokes indicate a balanced state of energy perception.

Vertical lines on the nail phalanx are rarer. They relate to the functions of the glands. But the correspondence of the fingers to certain ones remains unclear secretory functions Henry Mangin, Claude Seago, Dr. J. A. Hüth, a specialist in the endocrine glands, and Dr. Mac Ilough have analyzed this topic extensively. Modern conclusions are also based on reflexology data.

1. Vertical lines on the nail phalanges:

On the finger of Jupiter there is an excessive desire for leadership;

On the middle finger - a pronounced interest in philosophy;

On the ring finger - extreme sensitivity, excessive creative imagination, spiritual potential;

On the little finger - refined feelings, spiritual sensitivity and the gift of self-expression, intuition, inspiration, fantasy.

2. Transverse lines on the nail phalanges, which are called “white lines,” reflect the stress suffered:

On the index finger - depressed self-esteem, possibly as a consequence of social maladjustment;

On the middle finger - a real loss of material assets, a threat to security, stress due to unemployment or living conditions;

On the ring finger - a predisposition to communication, openness, but such a person is too critical and demanding;

On the little finger - difficulties in communication, sexual problems.

3. Transverse lines on the middle and basal phalanges reveal internal rejection, blocking of those abilities that a certain finger expresses. Sometimes it's auspicious sign, because the transverse lines on the middle phalanx of the fingers of Jupiter and Mercury may indicate the acquisition of diplomatic abilities, allowing one to bypass sharp corners.

In chirology, it is customary to divide fingers into knobby and smooth. On narrow fingers, two types of phalangeal nodes are distinguished.

“Philosophical nodes” are the interphalangeal connections between the nail and middle phalanges.

In a positive sense, they mean analytical abilities, logic, organized thinking, and a penchant for philosophy.

Their negative influence: distrust, pettiness, intractability.

Nodes of a material or lower order connect the middle and basal phalanges. People with this feature of the hand consider everything from a purely practical point of view. They make decisions based on experience, respect laws and regulations, and strive for what can realistically be achieved.

Positive aspect: collection and analysis of facts.

Negative aspect: pettiness and spitefulness.

But there are also combined options, for example, on the philosopher’s hand there are both types of “knots”.

Phalanges of the ring finger

Nail phalanx of the ring finger

The nail phalanx symbolizes the ability to realize in the artistic, aesthetic or personal sphere of life, as well as the nature of the perception of form and rhythm. Its size and shape also reveal the main features of social communication. If it is longer than the other two phalanges, a person strives to achieve perfection in his affairs. In addition, it testifies to sincerity, delicacy, idealism and a subtle sense of beauty.

Middle phalanx of the ring finger

The middle phalanx indicates the strength of creative aspirations and the ability to embody one’s ideals in a completely different areas life.

Root phalanx of the ring finger

The root phalanx gives an idea of ​​a possible reaction, the activity of artistic or creative aspirations. Long and well-formed, it indicates the ability to fruitfully develop those inclinations that the ring finger symbolizes. If, moreover, this phalanx is complete, the person strives for sensual pleasures and loves entertainment and comfort. People with a well-defined basic phalanx know how to take everything they can from life and cannot stand loneliness.

If the anterior phalanx is longer, then such a person is controlled by higher instincts.

The middle phalanx is longer - such a person is well versed in business.

The lower phalanx is longer - a person lives only for today.

All phalanges are short - strength, vital energy, spontaneity and mobility.

Thick phalanges - materialism and an ambitious nature, love of luxury.

Thin phalanges - a penchant for art, creativity, innovation, management ability.

The phalanx of the human finger has 3 parts: proximal, main (middle) and terminal (distal). On the distal part of the nail phalanx there is a clearly visible nail tuberosity. All fingers are formed by 3 phalanges, called the main, middle and nail. The only exception is the thumbs; they consist of 2 phalanges. The thickest phalanges of the fingers form the thumbs, and the longest - the middle fingers.

Our distant ancestors were vegetarians. Meat was not part of their diet. The food was low in calories, so they spent all their time in the trees, obtaining food in the form of leaves, young shoots, flowers and fruits. The fingers and toes were long, with a well-developed grasping reflex, thanks to which they stayed on branches and deftly climbed trunks. However, the fingers remained inactive in the horizontal projection. The palms and feet were difficult to open into a flat plane with the toes spread wide apart. The opening angle did not exceed 10-12°.

At a certain stage, one of the primates tried meat and found that this food was much more nutritious. He suddenly had time to take in the world around him. He shared his discovery with his brothers. Our ancestors became carnivores and descended from the trees to the ground and rose to their feet.

However, the meat had to be cut. Then a man invented a chopper. People still actively use modified versions of the handaxe today. In the process of making this instrument and working with it, people's fingers began to change. On the arms they became mobile, active and strong, but on the legs they became shortened and lost mobility.

By prehistoric times, human fingers and toes had almost modern look. The opening angle of the fingers at the palm and foot reached 90°. People learned to perform complex manipulations, play musical instruments, draw, draw, engage in circus arts and sports. All these activities were reflected in the formation of the skeletal basis of the fingers.

The development was made possible thanks to the special structure of the human hand and foot. It is, in technical terms, all “hinged”. Small bones are connected by joints into a single and harmonious shape.

The feet and palms have become mobile, they do not break when performing turning and turning movements, arching and torsion. Fingers and toes modern man can press, open, tear, cut and perform other complex manipulations.

Anatomy is a fundamental science. The structure of the hand and wrist is a topic that interests not only doctors. Knowledge of it is necessary for athletes, students and other categories of people.

In humans, the fingers and toes, despite noticeable external differences, have the same phalanx structure. At the base of each finger are long tubular bones called phalanges.

The toes and hands are the same in structure. They consist of 2 or 3 phalanges. Its middle part is called the body, the lower part is called the base or proximal end, and the upper part is called the trochlea or distal end.

Each finger (except the thumb) consists of 3 phalanges:

• proximal (main);
• average;
• distal (nail).

The thumb consists of 2 phalanges (proximal and nail).

The body of each phalanx of the fingers has a flattened upper back and small lateral ridges. The body has a nutrient opening that passes into a canal directed from the proximal end to the distal end. The proximal end is thickened. It contains developed articular surfaces that provide connection with other phalanges and with the bones of the metacarpus and foot.

The distal end of the 1st and 2nd phalanges has a head. On the 3rd phalanx it looks different: the end is pointed and has a bumpy, rough surface on the back side. The articulation with the bones of the metacarpus and foot is formed by the proximal phalanges. The remaining phalanges of the fingers provide reliable connection finger bones together.

Sometimes a deformed phalanx of a finger becomes the result of pathological processes occurring in the human body.

If round thickenings appear on the phalanges of the fingers and the fingers become like drumsticks, and the nails turn into sharp claws, then the person probably has diseases of the internal organs, which may include:

• heart defects;
• pulmonary dysfunction;
• infective endocarditis;
• diffuse goiter, Crohn's disease (severe disease of the gastrointestinal tract);
• lymphoma;
• cirrhosis;
• esophagitis;
• myeloid leukemia.

If such symptoms appear, you should immediately consult a doctor, because in an advanced state, these diseases can become a serious threat to your health and even life. It happens that deformation of the phalanges of the fingers and toes is accompanied by excruciating, nagging pain and a feeling of stiffness in the hand and foot. These symptoms indicate that the interphalangeal joints are affected.

Diseases that affect these joints include:

• deforming osteoarthritis;
• gouty arthritis;
• rheumatoid arthritis;
• psoriatic arthritis.

In no case should you self-medicate, because due to illiterate therapy you can completely lose the mobility of your fingers, and this will greatly reduce your quality of life. The doctor will prescribe examinations that will identify the causes of the disease.

Determining the causes will allow you to make an accurate diagnosis and prescribe a treatment regimen. If all medical recommendations are strictly followed, the prognosis for such diseases will be positive.

If painful bumps appear on the phalanges of your fingers, then you are actively developing gout, arthritis, arthrosis, or deposited salts have accumulated. A characteristic sign of these diseases is compaction in the area of ​​the cones. A very alarming symptom, because this is a compaction that leads to immobilization of the fingers. With such a clinic, you should go to a doctor so that he can prescribe a therapy regimen, draw up a set of gymnastic exercises, prescribe massage, applications and other physiotherapeutic procedures.

Injuries to joints and bone structures

Who among us has not pressed our fingers against doors, hit our nails with a hammer, or dropped some heavy object on our feet? Often such incidents result in fractures. These injuries are very painful. They are almost always complicated by the fact that the fragile body of the phalanx splits into many fragments. Sometimes the cause of a fracture can be a chronic disease that destroys the bone structure of the phalanx. Such diseases include osteoporosis, osteomyelitis and other severe tissue damage. If you have a high risk of getting such a fracture, then you should take care of your arms and legs, because treating such fractures of the phalanges is a troublesome and expensive undertaking.

Traumatic fractures, according to the nature of the damage, can be closed or open (with traumatic ruptures and tissue damage). After a detailed examination and x-ray, the traumatologist determines whether the fragments have shifted. Based on the results obtained, the attending physician decides how to treat this injury. Victims with open fractures always go to the doctor. After all, the sight of such a fracture is very unsightly and frightens a person. But people often try to endure closed fractures of the phalanges. You have a closed fracture if after the injury:

• pain on palpation (touch);
• finger swelling;
• restriction of movements;
• subcutaneous hemorrhage;
• finger deformation.

Immediately go to a traumatologist and get treatment! Closed fractures of the fingers can be accompanied by dislocations of the phalanges, damage to tendons and ligaments, so you will not be able to cope without the help of a specialist.

Rules for providing first aid

If the phalanx is damaged, even if it is just a bruise, you should immediately apply a splint or a tight polymer bandage. Any dense plate (wooden or plastic) can be used as a tire. Pharmacies today sell latex splints that do a good job of fixing broken bones. You can use the adjacent healthy finger together with the splint. To do this, bandage them tightly together or glue them with a band-aid. This will immobilize the injured phalanx and allow you to calmly work with your hand. This will also help prevent bone fragments from dislodging.

Conservative treatment (wearing tight bandages and plaster) for fractures lasts about 3-4 weeks. During this time, the traumatologist conducts x-ray examinations twice (on 10 and 21 days). After removing the plaster, active development of the fingers and joints is carried out for six months.

The beauty of hands and feet is determined by the correct shape of the phalanges of the fingers. You need to take care of your hands and feet regularly.

Chapter VII. About the phalanx, its length, depth, etc.
Full union correct amount rows is called a phalanx; the distance occupied by a line of commanders is called the front, face, spearhead, main line, mouth of battle; and people are chiefs, commanders and heads of ranks. The rest of the phalanx, from front to rear, constitutes its depth. The line of leaders and followers, stretched out in length, is called a line, and the one that stretches in depth is called a row. The phalanx is divided into two large divisions along a supposed line passing through its center from front to rear, one of which is called the right wing or head, and the other the left wing or tail. The bisecting line is called the umbilical cord, maw, or phalanx division. In the rear of the main corps of heavily armed troops (forming a phalanx in the proper sense), light infantry is located, and in the rear of the light infantry are horsemen; although light troops and cavalry sometimes occupy different positions, as we will show later. —We will now proceed to consider what should be the relative proportion of heavy troops, light infantry and cavalry, and how to arrange them in proper order. We must also explain by what means, under the influence of necessity, the order of battle can be quickly changed; to which we must add the theory of military movements, and how they apply to each branch of the military.
Chapter VIII. About the number of infantry and cavalry.
Establishing the number of soldiers needed to form an army is not an easy task; for the strength of the army must be determined by the quality of the recruits, and generally depends on the circumstances. Nevertheless, in general it can be assumed that there should be such a number that will be sufficient for various military movements: that is, if we consider it necessary to double the phalanx, we will increase it in any proportion, or reduce it. Therefore, it will always be advisable to form a phalanx of as many people as can be divided in half, down to an individual. For this reason, most tacticians form a phalanx of 16,384 heavily armed, half of this number being light infantry, and half of the last number being cavalry; the number 16.384 allows reduction to one by repeated division by two. It is for this reason that this number is accepted as appropriate. Therefore, since we have assumed that each rank should consist of sixteen people, there will be 1024 ranks in the phalanx.
Chapter IX. Regarding the names of individual units, as well as officials of the Phalanx.
The ranks are arranged in the correct order, each division having its own name. Two rows form dilochia of 32 people, whose commander is called dilochite. The four rows represent tetrarchy and the chief is called the tetrarch, commanding 64 fighters. Two tetrarchies form taxis, consisting of 128 men, or eight ranks, led by taxiarch. Two taxis make up syntagma, consisting of sixteen ranks or 256 men, commanded by syntagmatarch. But some people call the syntagma of 256 people xenagy, and the commander xenagos. Each syntagma has five supernumeraries - a standard bearer, a rear commander, a trumpeter, an assistant, and a herald. It is obvious that the syntagma must be square in shape, since it is sixteen people long and the same number deep. Two syntagmas, consisting of a total of 512 people and 32 ranks, are headed by pentacosiarch. Two pentacosiarchy are called chiliarchy, which consists of 1024 people and 64 rows; under the command chiliarch. Two connected chiliarchies are called merarchy, consisting of 2048 people and 128 ranks, led by merarch. But some people call this division telos, and his boss telearch. Two telearchies form phalangarchy, consisting of 4096 people and 256 ranks, and its chief is called phalangarh: but some call it strategy and her boss is called strategist. The two phalangarchy make up diphalangy, 8192 people and 512 rows. Some people call this division meros: It's actually a whole wing. Two diphalanges form tetraphalangarchy. - In total, the complete phalanx is thus divided into two wings, four phalangarchies, eight merarchies, 16 chiliarchies, 32 pentacosiarchies, 64 syntagmatarchies, 128 taxiarchies, 256 tetrarchies, 512 dilochiae, and 1024 rows.

Phalanx formation
Chapter X. Regarding the rank of the officers of the Phalanx, in accordance with the known merits of each person.
The best and first-ranking phalangar is on the right wing, and the next in order is on the left. The one who ranks third in the evaluation of valor stands with the second officer on the left side, closer to the middle of the phalanx. The fourth is on the right in the middle section with the first officer. Thus, the first and fourth phalangarchy have commanders of the first and fourth degrees of valor; and the second and third divisions have chiefs of proportionate degrees of merit. Now we will prove that the first and fourth divisions are equal in combat effectiveness to the second and third, since the sum of skill and courage is evenly distributed in each. - The merarchs will likewise be placed so that the one who ranks first in excellence is on the left, and the second behind him on the right in the second phalangarchy, while the one who is considered third in merit is on the left in the third division, and in the same way the fourth is placed on the right in the fourth phalanx. Likewise, the chiefs of the ranks in each tetrarchy are ordered so that the chief of the first rank has priority, and the chief of the fourth rank holds the position next to him. By these means the dilochii have an equal part of the power; since the first dilochia has superiors of the first and fourth degrees, and the second - of the second and third ranks of merit. This is clear from a mathematical point of view; for when there are proportions in four analogous quantities, the sum of the first and fourth quantities will be equal to the sum of the second and third. Now, having four tetrarchies in each syntagma, we reduce each tetrarch to a similar proportion, so that in each syntagma, the commander of the first tetrarchy is on the right, and also occupies the first place, and the commander of the fourth tetrarchy is placed on the left and ranks after the first, the commander of the third the tetrarchy is on the right, and is considered third in rank, and the commander of the second tetrarchy stands on the left, and is considered fourth in order. - The same proportions exist in the highest circles of command.
Chapter XI. About the distance between people in open, closed and dense formations.
We must now turn to the space allocated for a fully armed soldier, both in length and depth. There are different proportions. First of all, when people are sometimes placed in open formation, if the occasion so requires, and if they are so built, then each person occupies an area of ​​four cubits; in a close formation he is given two cubits, and in a tight formation - one cubit. Close formation occurs when the commander closes the distance and reduces the length of the phalanx by closing ranks and ranks, which reduces both length and depth, but still leaves enough room for movement. - The shield-to-shield connection, or tight formation, is carried out when the entire phalanx is further reduced in length and depth, so that due to the contact of soldier with soldier, they cannot deviate either to the right or to the left. Closed formation is observed when the commander engages the enemy; dense formation is resorted to when he wants to firmly withstand the enemy onslaught. It follows that when the commanders of 1024 ranks are located along the front of the phalanx in open order, they occupy 4096 cubits, which is equal to ten furlongs and ninety-six cubits; when placed in close formation, they occupy five furlongs and forty-eight cubits, and in dense the formation is two stages and twenty-four cubits.

Open, closed and tight orders
Chapter XII. About the shields and pikes of the phalanx.
The weapons of the phalanx are shields and spears. The Macedonian copper shield is the best. It should not be too convex, and should be eight palms in diameter. The pike should not be shorter than eight cubits, and the longest pike should not exceed such a length that a person can handle it with ease.
Chapter XIII. On the description of fighters suitable for the position of row commander.
It is necessary that the commanders of the ranks, who command all the ranks throughout the entire phalanx, should be selected soldiers in service, superior to the rest in stature, strength and military skill, because this first rank preserves the entire phalanx and is of great importance. Just as a sword produces work with its blade, enhanced by the swing and weight of the steel in the back; - the line of rank leaders can be recognized as the blade of the phalanx, receiving its power, heaviness, and driving force from the mass that presses from the rear. You should also pay attention to the second rank; since the peaks of those who compose it are exhibited along with those in the front; and placed immediately after the latter, it is of great benefit in many critical situations. If the leader of the rank falls or is wounded, the fighter behind takes his place, closing the gap in the ranks and maintaining its integrity. The third rank, including those who follow in succession, are classified accordingly, one by one, according to the strength and valor they possess.
Chapter XIV. About the Macedonian phalanx, and also about the proper length of the pikes.
The Macedonian phalanx was considered invincible due to the nature of the formation itself. Each soldier, fully armed, when he takes up close formation, at the moment of entering into battle, occupies only two cubits. The length of the pike at the beginning of the establishment of the phalanx was sixteen cubits, but now it is actually fourteen, of which two are reserved for the grip from hand to hand holding it, and the remaining twelve project forward. Thus, the pikes of the second rank, four cubits in length, protrude ten cubits from the front rank. The peaks of the third rank project eight cubits to the front; and in the fourth - six cubits, the fifth - four cubits, the sixth - protruding two cubits from the head of the row. The people in the remaining ranks behind do not have parts of the pikes that can extend beyond the front rank. Thus, five or six pikes appear in front of the soldiers along the front; of this there can be no doubt, but it must appear fearful to the attackers, and that each individual must receive an enormous influx of fortitude, bristling around with five or six lances, and supported by men in his rear. And although those who form the ranks behind the sixth cannot reach the enemy with their pikes, nevertheless, by pressing forward with the weight of their bodies, they increase the momentum of the phalanx, and leave no hope for those in the front to escape. There are some who will have the spears in the rear ranks longer than those in the front, so that the spearheads of the third or even the fourth rank may be in line with those of the first rank, and press equally upon the enemy. - In addition, the supernumerary commander of the rear of each syntagma must be a quick-witted person; he must ensure that each soldier in the entire formation maintains his position in the rank and row; he must force any one of them who has abandoned his post through cowardice or for any reason to take it again; and, in particular, if a close order is adopted, he must force his men as close together as possible; because it gives strength to the whole corps: it is of the utmost importance and for these reasons, not only in front, but also in the rear, soldiers must have someone who is equal in rank to the senior officer.

Moving the peak to the front

Phalanx. - Φαλαγξ . The origin of this word is unclear. This does mean, however, a significant number of people tightly packed in one line. This word is as ancient as Homer; and it was used by Caesar. In any case, it means a group of soldiers arrayed in order. For Aelian, this word means the Macedonian phalanx, consisting of a given number of people arranged in a special order.
Length. - Elian expresses the length of the phalanx in a word μήκος , mekos, longitudo.
Heads of rows - Our author, in this abundance of titles of the first row, some of them quite poetic, uses the words - μετωπον , metopon, προσωπον , prosopon, παραταξις , parataxis, ζυγον , zugon, στομα , stoma, ηγεμονες , hegemones, πρωστοταται , prostotatai, πρωτολοχια , protolochia.
Depth. - Βοθος , bathos, profunditas.
Right wing or head. - What is called a wing here - in the original κερας , keras, horns.
Left wing or tail. - Word ουρα , Oura, Theodore Gaza translated as pes, but Arkerius - literally cauda. There is no word in the English language that can show its meaning without difficulty. This will give the reader some idea of ​​the difficulties with which the translator had to contend. Bingham makes it his tail.
Bisection line. - Διχοτομια , dicotomia. Aelian speaks here of two large divisions of the phalanx, but he does not at all claim that it cannot, when the need arises, split up. Since the light-armed troops and cavalry are placed behind the phalanx and in each other's rear, it is clear that they cannot always act with the speed that in many cases may be required; they do not rush themselves into the front of the phalanx, wherever the need arises, in any part of the formation; but also do not hastily retreat to the starting position, unless there are more than one interval, pro re natd. Here we must accept the expressions of Aelianus as representing the phalanx in parade. At the end of this chapter he says something that might have saved the ancient commentators a lot of work: "light troops and cavalry sometimes occupy different positions" from those described and, of course, the order of the phalanx must be adapted to the positions they might eventually occupy . The dividing line is called in the original ομφαλος , omphalos, literally navel - here translated as umbilical cord; she is also called στομα , stoma, mouth and αραρος , araros, or αραγος , aragos, from αρασσω , arasso, amputo, - a bscindo. Bingham did not translate this last term.
Now we come - It was considered more correct to adhere to the original Greek than to slavishly follow Bingham. This passage at the end of chapter 7 is part of chapter 8 in his translation. In Arkerius's edition it forms the 7th conclusion.
In the previous chapter the parts and size of the phalanx were established, and the positions of the heavy, light infantry and cavalry were given. As for the numerical composition of the phalanx; this number should be determined, as a rule, on the basis of the call for recruits. For such a number, which cannot be successfully arranged in battle order, will produce more confusion than promote order, without which the battle cannot be saved: therefore, such a number must be chosen as is best adapted for this purpose.
sufficient for various combat movements - Always movement in combat does not cause a general change in the shape of the phalanx. When turning right or left, the original shape is preserved. Likewise, after the countermarch and turn, each soldier assumes the same relative position he originally had, and no change in length or depth occurs. Therefore, the movements implied by Aelian are doubling; either an expansion of the front or an increase in depth, in any case, the shape of the phalanx changes. In this way, the front of the phalanx is lengthened and compressed to a shape close to a square; the former by widening the ranks, and the latter by doubling the ranks. If, on the other hand, it is intended that the original form should be restored, it will be necessary to perform reverse movements; the ranks must be doubled and the ranks reduced. By means of these means the phalanx can be extended longitudinally, or in depth, in any desired proportion. As we double the ranks we reduce the depth of the phalanx, while by doubling the ranks we shorten its length. For example, - if a phalanx has a depth of sixteen people, expand the ranks twice, its depth will be reduced to eight people, and if doubled again there will be only four people deep. Thus, the phalanx will consist of four ranks, and each rank will have 4096 thousand people. In this case, the front of the phalanx will be four times larger than the original one. Likewise, by doubling the ranks (of which there are 1024 in the Aelian phalanx); - after the first action, only 512 ranks will remain, the number of fighters forming the front rank; after the second doubling, the front will lose 768 people from the initial number, and will consist of only 256 people. The phalanx, having at first only 16, would thus be 64 men deep, and in order to restore its original form it would be necessary to double the ranks twice. It should be understood, however, that the term doubling the ranks does not mean increasing the number of ranks in this proportion, but doubling the number of fighters, transferring them to odd ranks, namely: the second to the first, the fourth to the third, etc. The use of doubling will be explained in the notes to chapter 29.
which can be divided in half. - Elian gives the phalanx such a number of people that can be divided by two equally until we get one, and the number he took is 16.384. Any number which does not admit of such a division leaves a certain number of extra people at each doubling, and thus both the ranks and the rows are irregular. Those who are familiar with the military maneuvers of the day know that when there is an odd number of rows, it is impossible to double the outermost row. It is therefore quite clear that the ranks of the phalanx should consist of eight or sixteen men each, for a number less than eight, with the exception of four or two (which do not apply to the depth of the phalanx), nor any number between eight and sixteen, can be reduced by dividing by two to one, and any number greater than sixteen fails to satisfy this purpose unless obtained by doubling the number sixteen. The series of Cyrus, as we learn from Xenophon (Cyrop. lib.ii.), consisted of twelve people, but this number is divided by two, decreasing to three, but not lower. In the ancient series of Greeks there were ten people, hence it was called ten ( δεκας - decuria). When the number was increased to twelve, the series still retained the name ten. But ten is divided by two, decreasing to five, and can no longer be divided by two. Odd numbers up to sixteen cannot be divided by two without a remainder. If the rows contain more than sixteen or less than 32 people, you cannot divide them in half as Elian indicates. So, if we fix 16,384 men for the phalanx, this number will give 1024 rows, each 16 men deep, which can double and double until they are reduced to one row.
The phalanx should consist of 16,384 heavily armed - Aelian, on the authority of those tacticians whom he studied, fixes the number of the phalanx at 16,384 people. We have already observed that the number may be greater or less; but this was the number of which the Macedonian phalanx consisted. Appian seems to be of the same opinion. "Antiochus' entire army consisted of 70,000; the strongest part of them was the Macedonian phalanx - 16,000 people, lined up as Alexander and Philip organized it. He placed it in the center, dividing it into 10 parts, 1600 people in each, and in Each of this units had 50 people along the front, and 32 in depth; on the flanks of each unit there were elephants, a total of 22. The appearance of this phalanx was like a wall, and the elephants were towers.” (Syrian affairs.) We have here, following Appian, what he called the Macedonian phalanx, but not because the Macedonians served in it, but because it was armed and trained according to the Macedonian model. Antiochus could not have had as many as 16,000 Macedonians in his army. He was not the king of Macedonia; the monarch of which Philip, son of Demetrius, was an enemy of Antiochus and was in alliance with the Romans. Next, Appian directly says that “the phalanx was built the way Alexander and Philip organized it.” Antiochus may be said to have inherited this order of battle, being a direct descendant of Seleucus, one of Alexander's generals. Titus Livy (Decad. IV. Lib. VII.) says that they were armed according to the Macedonian model, from which we can conclude that the soldiers were not, in fact, natives of Macedonia. “The royal system,” he says, “was much more varied due to the many tribes and differences in weapons and types of auxiliary units. 16,000 were armed according to the Macedonian model, such warriors are called phalangites. This was the middle of the system. The king divided them along the front line into ten parts , positioned in such a way that in each gap there were two elephants. This formation reached thirty-two rows in depth. It was the color of the royal army and generally inspired awe, but the elephants towering in huge numbers among the warriors were especially terrifying. We learn from Livy and Appian, comparing these testimonies, that there were 16,000 people called phalangites, built in the Macedonian style, in the manner introduced by Philip and Alexander, and that they were divided into ten parts, with intervals between them, and also that the phalanx was 32 men deep (and this is precisely the double Macedonian rank). Livy does not give us the length of the phalanx, but Appian says that each of the ten parts had fifty men in front, making a total of five hundred, and multiplying the length by the depth gives 16,000, a number in which both Titus Livius and Appian agree . However, there are still difficulties, because these authors and Aelian differ slightly - the first define 16,000 people in the Macedonian phalanx, and Aelian gives 16,384. As for Livy, he was a Roman author, and of course received information from others, but Appian was a Greek, since, after Ptolemy confirmed the succession of the Egyptian crown to his family, the Alexandrians were largely Greek. His history shows a good acquaintance with the Greek military discipline, and with their battle formations, and therefore we can more confidently rely on his authority. So, although he says, in round numbers, the phalanx consisted of 16,000 men, he obviously mentions the men placed on the flanks of each unit. If he puts 22 on each flank of each unit, then 20 flanks on 10 units would give 440, whereas Elian only gives 384, in addition to 16,000. If, on the other hand, we appoint 22 men in each of the 10 parts, the sum will be 120. However, in any sense, taking his words, we see that Appian distributes more than 16,000 men in the Macedonian phalanx. There may be an error in the notation in the original Greek, and perhaps 22 should be read as 32. Assuming this (and we must bear in mind that the Greeks and other ancient writers did not know convenient Arabic numerals), taking ten times 32 people, allocated to each part, which would give a total of 320, and two more times 32 for those who stood on the outer flanks, the sum would be 384, which added to 16,000 would be the exact number of the phalanx according to Aelian. There should be 16,384 heavily armed infantry. Let's move on to consider light infantry.
(The author is as cunning as he can in order to get the required number. Firstly, it is unclear where he got the people on the flanks of the regiments from. Appian talks about elephants, and there were 22 of them in total - that is, two between the regiments, and two on the common flanks Secondly, if we assume that there were 32 people on each flank of the 10 regiments, it is not difficult to understand that there should be 11 such additional rows, not 12. The required 12 additional rows can be obtained if we assume that the phalanx stood in two. lines. Agnostik.)
Half of this number is light infantry. - heavy infantry, according to the Greeks, constitutes the strength of the army and, therefore, its largest number. In the reports that have reached us, there were twice as many light troops. The latter, as we learn from Xenophon, (Cyrop. 1. VII.) in the opinion of Cyrus, were not so highly valued. “He also took with him many Lidians, and left weapons to those of them in whom he saw a proud passion for beautiful armor, war horses and chariots and an effort to do everything in such a way as to please him. And in whom he noticed a reluctance to follow him , he took away the horses from those and gave them to the Persians, who were the first to go on a campaign with him, and he burned the weapons of these Lidians; he also forced all the people who were under his power and deprived of weapons to practice throwing. from a sling, considering that this type of weapon was most suitable for slaves." - When the number of light infantry, in a given draft, was increased, then the fully armed troops had to be decreased; and the army was weakened in the same proportion. Lightly armed units cannot constantly maintain a prolonged engagement; and if pressed they either fled or retreated to the heavily armed for support. They are applicable, however, for various combat missions, in combination with other branches of the military. The proportion that Elian set for them, half the number of heavily armed ones, seems reasonable and provides a number of advantages. The Romans, however, allowed no more than one quarter of light infantry in their armies. The legion (says Polybius, 1. IV.) contained 4,200 infantry. Of these, 600 were called triarii, 1200 hastati, 1200 principi, which together amounted to 3000 men, and the rest were velites, corresponding to the Greek light infantry, although armed somewhat differently. Aelian tells us that Greek light troops had no defensive armor, but only used offensive weapons such as bows, javelins or slings. Polybius (1 VI.) writes that the velites had a sword, a small shield and darts as weapons; the sword is Spanish, - the shield is round in shape, one and a half feet in diameter, - and the shafts of the darts are three feet long, thick as a finger, with tips almost a foot in length. Titus Livy (Decad. IV. 1. i.) notes the skirmishes that arose between the horsemen of Philip of Macedon and the Roman consul Sulpicius, comparing the opposing armies, says that each of them had detachments of light troops attached to the cavalry, but, upon entering battle, the Roman velites defeated their opponents, being armed in a manner well adapted to this type of combat, a sword and shield allowed them to immediately attack the enemy and defend themselves. The number of light-armed troops established by Aelian would be 8,192 men, which, placed eight men deep, would form 1,024 ranks in the rear of the fully armed phalangites.
Half of the last number is cavalry. The number of cavalry attached to the phalanx, according to Aelian, was 4096. Total number There are 24,576 heavy and light infantry in the army, cavalry of the total number will be 1/6. We learn from Diodorus Siculus (I.xvii.) that this ratio was observed among Alexander, when he opposed Darius, he had about 30,000 foot and 5,000 horse. With the agreement of many authors, however, it appears that although there was an impressive predominance of the relationship between infantry and cavalry, it nevertheless always controlled the circumstances. The Romans brought a much smaller proportion of cavalry into the field. According to Polybius (1st 6th century), there were 1/9 cavalry in the legion compared to infantry. It is established, both in the case of nations and generals, that they have always endeavored to adhere to the full share of that branch of troops in which they placed the greatest confidence; guided, contrary to the character of the army opposing them, by the arms of the troops they possessed, and by the appearance of the country, which was the theater of action. Aelian retains for us the relative numbers of infantry and cavalry, as prescribed and regulated by the best ancient tactics.
We have in this chapter the most clear and precise analysis of the phalanx, which consists of rows located in direct contact, and each element of which consists of a constant number of rows, increasing in double proportion. Simple lochos, stichos or a series, we have already considered. (See Chapter V)
Dilochy. - Διλοχια , dilochia, - this word means two connected rows, its commander was called διλοχιτης , dilochita.
Tetrarchy. - Τετραρχια , tetrarchia, commander τετραχη , tetrarcha. The word tetrarchy here means the commander of the four ranks; this sometimes means sovereignty over a fourth part of the kingdom. Thus, Herod the Great, who was confirmed as king of Judea by decree of the Roman Senate, after his death divided the kingdom into four parts, ruled by tetrarchs. Herod Antipas, one of his sons, was tetrarch in Galilee; Archelaus owned two quarters of his father's kingdom, and Philip the remainder. Lysanias (mentioned in St. Luke, ch. III) was tetrarch in Abilene, a province that was not part of the dominions of Herod the Great. (See Parkhurst).
Taxis. - Τάξις , taxi. This word, which in its basic sense means an order or group, has here the specific meaning of a division of a phalanx consisting of 128 men. Various numbers were attributed to taxis, according to customs different nations what we learn from ancient authors. His commander was called ταξιαρχος , taxiarchos.
syntagma. - Συνταγμα , syntagma. This word comes from συντασσω , syntasso, put in order; hence the grammatical term syntax. The syntagma was sometimes applied to any large detachment of the army, and sometimes to an entire army; Aelianus himself uses the word in this way, but, taking into account the technical meaning, we must limit it to the detachment of 256 men forming the divisions of the phalanx. The commander is called συταγματαρχης , syntagmatarches.
Xenagy. - Ξεναγια , xenagia. This word comes from ξενος , xenos, foreigner, or stranger, and it is supposed that 256 men, or syntagmas, might signify the proportion of auxiliaries mixed with the main body of the phalanx, in those cases where it was found right that they should serve together. We meet the term xenagy, applied on given quantity lightly armed troops, as will be shown when the characteristics of this branch of troops are discussed in Chapter XVI. Commander name xenagy, obviously, by analogy, ξεναγος , xenagus.
Overpants. - Εκτακτοι , ectactoi; the fighters are not classified with those who make up the usual strength of the ranks, and therefore must obviously be taken for officers.
Standard bearer. - Σημοφορος , semeiophorus. We call this officer ensign. Diodorus Siculus (Lib. i.) traces the invention of standards to the Egyptians. They carried images of animals that people worshiped. Hence the origin of the holiness that was once associated with military standards. Their use is aimed at maintaining the formation and, in case the army was in disarray, the banners represented gathering places. It is worthy of mention that Caesar, in case of frustration during battle, ordered the soldiers to rally and form anew around the first standard they could find; because, while the soldiers were looking for their own, the opportunity to enter into action with effect might be lost. (De bello Gall. lib. II.) - The ancient standards are generally solid, such as the figure of an eagle, used by the ancient Persians, as Xenophon tells us: (Cyrop. 1. VII.) and by the Romans. Roman cavalry used a small square-shaped piece of cloth, usually bearing the name of the reigning emperor. Bingham does not approve of our banners; due to the influence of the wind on them, they hit the faces of the ensigns and soldiers who stand nearby. - The place of the standards was in front on the parade, and, for safety, in the center of the syntagma or company of 256 men, on the battlefield. Hence the name antesignani, given to those who fought in position in front of the standard, and postsignani, the name of those who fought behind him. It seems that the standard bearers wore defensive armor, but did not burden themselves with a shield.
Rear commander. - Ουραγός , ouragus. This position is very similar to a lieutenant in our military. In Chapter XIV, Aelian establishes his duties.
Trumpeter. - Σαλπιγκτής , salpingtes. There is almost no need to consider the use of a pipe. It served to call the soldiers, measure their steps, give a signal to march or retreat, etc. Tradition says that the trumpet was first used in battle by Tyrrhenus, the son of Hercules; and Bacchus is said to have invented drums during his campaign in India. Alexander found the Indians beating a drum, not blowing a trumpet, - " id pro cantu tubarum Indis erat". This the Indians used instead of trumpet sounds. (Q. Curtius. 1. VIII. century 14.) The Parthians had drums. The Saracens and Turks used them, from which, probably, the Europeans borrowed them. They were characteristic of the infantry in the time of Bingham , and trumpets in the cavalry. Plutarch says, in his biography of Lycurgus, that the Spartans marched to the sound of flutes. Therefore, undoubtedly, the use of the flute.
Assistant. - Ὑπηρετης , hyperetes. Bingham translates this word with the modern term sergeant. This can be translated this way if he understood in advance that the word sergeant means, in its original sense, a subordinate officer, but not that military duties ὑπηρετης or assistant, were exactly those that are inherent in the modern sergeant. The word sergeant comes from Latin word; - Thus, serviens ad legem, servant of the law; serviens ad arma, military sergeant; we have a civil officer assigned to our House of Parliament called sergeant at arms. Ὑπηρετης meant a strictly subordinate oarsman on a ship, from there it spread to designate, usually, a subordinate official. This can be resolved, perhaps, by adding such a philological note that this word in dative case(Luke, IV. 20.) translated as " the minister", a term which must, of course, mislead the English reader and the illiterate listener. It would be better to say "servant." It is translated ministro in the Vulgate, in Beza, in Junius and Tremellius. Ὑπηρετης by Elian, translated as minister Gaza and Arkerius.
Herald. - Στρατοκηρυξ , stratokeux, soldier-herald. The herald was used to repeat the orders of a superior officer in cases where they could not be conveyed by the sound of a trumpet. His place was next to the commander, except in combat, when he could not be heard. A person with a clear and loud voice was always chosen for this position. Xenophon (Anab. 1. ii.) gives a pithy example of the rare use of the herald. At night, panic gripped the army; a herald was then summoned to offer a reward for discovering the cause of the commotion. Here it seems that the herald was performing a service for which neither trumpets nor signals were intended.
Square shape. - the officers just listed were considered in excess of their proper numbers. Square shape resulting in 16 men in ranks and 16 in columns, a total of 256, obviously not counting the five officers attached.
Pentacosiarch. - Πεντακοσιαρχης , pentacosiarches. Elian here deviates a little from his usual method of enumeration. He did not say that the two syntagms form pentacosiarchy under the command pentacosiarch“ah, but he immediately gives the name of the commanding position. Pentacosiarch, as the term implies command of 500 men. This is supposed to be a rounded number, the exact value being 512.
Chiliarchy. - Χιλιαρχια , chiliarchia from χίλιοι , chilioi, mille, thousand, means a detachment of more than a thousand people. The Aelian chiliarchy consists of 1024 people. The term chiliarch almost corresponds Tribunus militum Romans, as used by Plutarch. Military leaders called "high captains", in the English New Testament, Mark, vi. 21 are thousands in the original. Herod had a dinner with τοις χιλιαρχοις. "The chief captain," Acts, xxi. 33, called χιλιαρχος in Greek.
Merarchy. - Μεραρχια , merarchia from μερος , meros, part or division.
Telos - Τελος , telos. This word has many meanings, among other things it represents a troop of soldiers, a cohort, etc.
Phalangarchy. - Φαλανγαρχια , phalangarchia. The unit called the phalangarchy was the fourth part of the entire phalanx.
Strategy. - Στρατηγια , Strategy. Phalangarchy, consisting of 4,096 men, could be considered a small army in itself, and was placed under the command of a commander equal in rank to the current generals, called στρατηγος , strategist.
Di phalangarchy. - Double phalangarchy.
Meros. - Μερος , half, large division of the phalanx, forming an entire wing ( κερας ) of the entire body. It is obvious that the two wings completed the phalanx, which consisted of four phalanxes. - The phalanx contains 16,384 heavily armed soldiers; in addition, Aelian specifically listed the officers (with the exception of two di phalangarchs, and the commander of the entire phalanx): -

It was extremely important that the phalanx maintain its shape during battle. As long as she maintained her cohesion, it was almost impossible to make an impact on her; but if one part is strong, and advances on the enemy faster than the other, or, vice versa, if, due to the indecisiveness of the commanders, or for any other reason, some units lag behind, its front will be disrupted and the system will be weakened; and even a small detachment thrown into a gap can cause irreparable disorder. The power of the phalanx was thus balanced in all its parts with the utmost precision. The number of fighters, and the nature of their weapons, and the position of each person in each division were the same as everyone else; but along with physical strength, the moral energy of the army was given attention with the highest precision. Mental abilities were calculated and each man was classified according to his courage and martial prowess. The commanders were stationed in front, each in his particular position, according to his known merit, and in such relative positions with the other officers as to balance the strength of each part of the phalanx.
The best and first in rank of the phalangarh - the disposition of these and other officers was determined by numerical proportion in relation to the supposed mental abilities; and although at first glance this seems refined, it is in fact fair and should have been accompanied by the happiest consequences. - There are four phalanxes in each phalanx, one of these units will serve as an exemplary example, the rules of which apply to all the others. Four quantities that are equally superior to each other are compared with each other; the sum of the first and fourth will be equal to the sum of the second and third. Thus 1, 2, 3, 4 exceed each other in equal proportion; the sum of 1 and 4 is equal to 5, and the sum of 2 and 3 is also equal to 5. Thus, 2, 8, 14, 20, exceeding each other by 6; the first number 2, added to the fourth 20, adds up to the same as the second and third, namely 22. Let the lines
2=========3_4=========1
represent the right and left wings of the phalangarchy, the officer first in ability and valor will stand on the right wing as 1, the officer next in rating will stand as 2, the third - 3, and the fourth - 4, it is clear that each wing will have commanders whose sum knowledge in the art of war, and whose personal courage will be equal; 4 added to 1 equals 5 on the right wing, and 2 added to 3 on the left wing equals the same amount. The same principle applies equally to all units and divisions, and to the phalanx as a whole.
It must be a matter of great care to know the exact area occupied by the phalanx in open, closed or close formation, in order to select the proper one according to the situation, and in which it can act best. Rough terrain must practically destroy its properties - such as unity and strength, and it seems necessary that the commander should be aware of the space required by each of the three forms in order to be able to occupy such distances as will provide strength to the phalanx and maintain its characteristic shape . Having become entangled among ravines, or swamps, or piles of stones, stumps, or in dense thickets, such a detachment can suffer greatly and find itself in an extremely dangerous situation. The military eye, during the centuries while the phalanx held the battlefields, was intended to serve not to study the extent of the routes, but to survey in more detail the terrain which the phalanx would occupy when formed, and the lines along which it would march. By enabling the commander to pay attention to all these and similar questions, Elian very correctly gives the exact measurement of the space required for such a corps in any of the three predicaments in which it may find itself, open, closed, close or closed battle formation.
four cubits. - a Greek cubit is approximately equal to one and a half English feet, which gives six feet (approx. 2 meters) for each fully armed soldier. Considering that he carried a large shield, which hung on his left shoulder, half in front and half behind it, and was armed with a pike fourteen cubits in length (equal to twenty-one English feet (approx. 8 meters)), which he carried on his right shoulder, projecting several feet in an oblique direction in front of him, this space was as small as could be allowed to him in the marching order.
Two are allowed - When in close formation ( πυκνωσις , pycnosis) a soldier occupies a space equal to three feet. This formation was intended at the moment of contact with the enemy, either to attack him or to repel an attack, but during the actual engagement, close formation was often, if not constantly, resorted to.
One cubit - thick, closed, or tight order, called in the original συνασπισμος , synaspismus, was formed by firmly connecting shield to shield, which to the enemy appeared to be an ideal wall, almost impregnable due to the exposed pikes keeping it at a distance (see Chapter XIV.), while the armor worn by the phalangites protected them from missile weapons. It's true that synaspismus, superimposing shield to shield, gives us the space allotted to the soldier in relation to the rank, but in the chapter just given, and also from what Polybius tells us (Lib.17.), we know that the soldiers in the ranks stood with at intervals of two cubits, that is, three feet apart.
elbows. - (approx. 2 km.) The space occupied by the entire phalanx when the formation is open is 6144 feet; this, however, refers only to the length of the phalanx, where each of the 1024 commanders of the ranks occupied 4 cubits, approximately equal to one and a half English feet, giving 6144 feet - but, as to the ranks forming the depth of the phalanx, consisting of only 16 men occupying each four cubits, it is obvious that the sum must be 64 cubits, or 96 English feet (32 m.). Multiplying the length by the depth, we obtain that the phalanx would occupy an area equal to 589,824 square feet (65,536 sq. m.) The length of the front would be one mile, one furlong, six milestones and three yards in English measures. In close formation the length of the line will be half a mile, twenty-three poles, four feet, or, in round figures, 3072 feet, (about 1 km) and it is self-evident that in close formation it will occupy only half of this distance, or 1536 feet (approx. 500 m.), or a quarter of a mile, eleven milestones and ten feet six inches.
(furlong - a quarter of a mile. milestone - pole, English measure of length equal to 5.029 m.)
made of copper - It is assumed that Philip of Macedon, when establishing the phalanx, borrowed a lot from the Lacedaemonians, who were instructed by the decrees of Lycurgus to make shields only from copper. Xenophon (de reb. Græc. lib. iii.) admired Agesilaus, king of Sparta, for his efforts to supply his army with magnificent weapons and equipment; who appeared only in copper and scarlet robes. The copper shield is easy to clean; it shone when polished; and rust did not accumulate on it. Agesilaus paid much attention to such military decorations that, while on winter apartments at Ephesus, he established forges and diligently applied all the skills of his armorers, offering rewards and prizes to those who succeeded in their art. We have this fact not only from the testimony of Xenophon, but this is what the more elegant biographer Cornelius Nepos also says - Agesilaus "Ephesum hiematum exercitum reduxit, at ibi officinis armorum institutes, magnd industrid helium apparavit; et quo studiosius armarentur, insigmusque omarentur, pramia proposuit, quibus donarentur, quorum egregia in ed re fuisset industrial." ABOUT He paid equal attention to the education and training of his troops. " Fecit idem in exercitationum generibus, ut, qui ceteris prastitissent, eos magnis afficeret muneribus.”(See Dr. Gillies's Hist, of Greece, vol. 3. book 27.) There seems to be very little doubt that the copper shield came to the Macedonians from the Spartans.
Not too convex - If the shields were made without curves, they would not provide full protection for the body, so they would be convex. The left hand, extended further, must have held him at too great a distance; but too large a recess would probably interfere with the movement of the thigh, and, along the upper edge, come into contact with the face.
In diameter - Οκταπαλαισος , octapalaistos, eight palms in diameter. A palm is usually about three inches, four inches being a foot, and therefore the diameter of the round bronze shield was two feet.
Eight Cubits - Typically expressed in English units this would be twelve feet. Long peaks undoubtedly have great advantages over short ones, but they should not exceed such a length beyond which they are inconvenient to operate. Polyaenus (Lib. II.) mentions the successful stratagem of Cleonymus the Lacedomonian during the siege of Edessa. A breach was made in the walls of the city and spearmen armed with pikes sixteen cubits (24 feet) long were sent there. Cleonymus ordered the rank leaders, or leading rank, to abandon their pikes and grab hold of the long pikes of their opponents, while the subsequent ranks were to move through the gaps and attack them vigorously in this defenseless position. The plan was a success. Kleonymus was victorious.
One need only refer to Chapter V and the notes to eliminate any difficulties that may arise in reading Ch. XIII.
This whole chapter seems to be borrowed from Polybius (Lib. 17th century), from which the text of Aelian differs only in the length of the spears that protrude in front.
The Macedonian phalanx was considered invincible. —We may here observe that any new and significant invention in the art of war, at all times, uniformly ensures victory for the inventors, such as the discovery of gunpowder in this field in former times, or the advantages obtained from horse-drawn artillery in our days. The sooner their enemies accept this mode of warfare, the better, unless they can counter it with a superior invention of their own. The phalanx, if not invented, was improved by Philip of Macedon, and this allowed him to elevate his kingdom from the state of an insignificant state to one of the most powerful states of antiquity. Before him, Macedonia was oppressed in turn by the Athenians, Lacedaemonians, and Thebans. Upon ascending the throne, the country was ravaged by the peons, and he was forced to pay tribute to the Illyrians; but thanks to the excellent tactical system which he adopted, he liberated Macedonia from the barbarians, and became the head of the league of Greek states. The rise of his son, Alexander the Great, is well known. The phalanx swept away everything in its path; and it was not the Romans themselves who conquered the Macedonians, but unfavorable circumstances which deprived their order of battle of a decisive advantage. When the Romans defeated the Macedonians in three battles, we were able to establish the undoubted causes of each defeat on the authority of Polybius (Lib. XVII.), Plutarch (in his biography of Flaminius), Appian (in the Syrian affairs), and Livy (Lib. XXXIII.). In the first example, Philip II, son of Demetrius, did not bring his entire phalanx into action as he could have done. He entered the field with only his right wing. At the same time, he was victorious against the units of the Roman army that fought with him; but the left wing, being in marching order, was attacked before it was formed and was routed. Flaminius then attacked the rear of the hitherto victorious right wing, which being thus isolated and surrounded, was forced to surrender. - In the second, Antiochus, having entered into battle with Lucius Scipio on the plains of Magnesia, was overly confident in his cavalry, which was soon defeated; he made another mistake by compressing the front of the phalanx, building it thirty-two men deep, instead of sixteen, which was the usual depth. After the defeat of the cavalry, Scipio, using the narrow front provided by the enemy, attacked him in the flank and rear, surrounded him, and forced him to lay down his arms. This victory was won by Lucius Scipio, called Asiatic. - In the third case, when Perseus entered into battle with Paulus Aemilius, the phalanx at first repelled all attacks, but advanced carelessly and too quickly, entered unfavorable terrain, lost its compact form and broke into small parts, and the Romans, entering the gaps, defeated her completely. See first note to Ch. XI.
construction - Elian here hints at a dense order, or synaspismus. See the previous chapter and its notes.
Two cubits is equal to three feet. This is the space between soldiers from front to rear, or in a row; - the distance in the line was only one cubit. See chap. XI.
Two are allocated. - Aelianus and Polybius differ on this point, because the latter says that four cubits are set aside for this purpose, in other words, the pike loses four cubits of its length in the process of being pointed. Both authors may agree thus, if the lance is grasped with the right hand at the very end, the loss will be only two cubits, but if the point of grip is two cubits (three feet) from the end, of course, the loss will be four. In Bingham's time, during the Dutch War, the grip right hand was done at the end of the pike. As can be seen from Polybius, as was sometimes the custom of the ancients, the blunt end of the pike was loaded with a compensation weight to balance the length of the weapon. It was called σηκωμα , secoma, libramentum, counterweight. - The oars of the ships thus become more controllable. Without such a device, the oars of a warship would have been very cumbersome. (Athenæus, Deipn. 1. v.)
beyond the front rank - How did the people placed in the rear expose their pikes? We learn from Polybius (Lib. 17th century) that they did not bring them into an attacking position, but carried them bending forward, and were ready to take the place of anyone who fell. The pike, remaining in this position, served, to some extent, to intercept enemy shells, as well as to cover the heads of soldiers stationed along the front.
longer in the rear ranks - This clarification is too ambiguous. The lances of sixteen cubits were found too long to be conveniently used, and so they were reduced to fourteen. This was a concession in the face of experience with longer peaks.

The phalanges of the human fingers have three parts: proximal, main (middle) and terminal (distal). On the distal part of the nail phalanx there is a clearly visible nail tuberosity. All fingers are formed by three phalanges, called the main, middle and nail. The only exception is the thumbs - they consist of two phalanges. The thickest phalanges of the fingers form the thumbs, and the longest - the middle fingers.

Structure

The phalanges of the fingers belong to the short tubular bones and have the appearance of a small elongated bone, in the shape of a semi-cylinder, with the convex part facing the back of the hand. At the ends of the phalanges there are articular surfaces that take part in the formation of interphalangeal joints. These joints have a block-like shape. They can perform extensions and flexions. The joints are well strengthened by collateral ligaments.

Appearance of the phalanges of the fingers and diagnosis of diseases

In some chronic diseases of the internal organs, the phalanges of the fingers are modified and take on the appearance of “drumsticks” (spherical thickening of the terminal phalanges), and the nails begin to resemble “watch glasses”. Such modifications are observed in chronic lung diseases, cystic fibrosis, heart defects, infective endocarditis, myeloid leukemia, lymphoma, esophagitis, Crohn's disease, liver cirrhosis, diffuse goiter.

Fracture of the phalanx of the finger

Fractures of the phalanges of the fingers most often occur as a result of a direct blow. A fracture of the nail plate of the phalanges is usually always comminuted.

Clinical picture: the phalanx of the fingers hurts, swells, the function of the injured finger becomes limited. If the fracture is displaced, then the deformation of the phalanx becomes clearly visible. In case of fractures of the phalanges of the fingers without displacement, sprain or displacement is sometimes mistakenly diagnosed. Therefore, if the phalanx of the finger hurts and the victim associates this pain with injury, then an X-ray examination (fluoroscopy or radiography in two projections) is required, which allows making the correct diagnosis.

Treatment of a fracture of the phalanx of the fingers without displacement is conservative. An aluminum splint or plaster cast is applied for three weeks. After this, physiotherapeutic treatment, massage and exercise therapy are prescribed. Full mobility of the damaged finger is usually restored within a month.

In case of a displaced fracture of the phalanges of the fingers, comparison of bone fragments (reposition) is performed under local anesthesia. Then a metal splint or plaster cast is applied for a month.

If the nail phalanx is fractured, it is immobilized with a circular plaster cast or adhesive plaster.

The phalanges of the fingers hurt: causes

Even the smallest joints in the human body - the interphalangeal joints - can be affected by diseases that impair their mobility and are accompanied by excruciating pain. Such diseases include arthritis (rheumatoid, gout, psoriatic) and deforming osteoarthritis. If these diseases are not treated, then over time they lead to the development of severe deformation of the damaged joints, complete disruption of their motor function and atrophy of the muscles of the fingers and hands. Despite the fact that the clinical picture of these diseases is similar, their treatment is different. Therefore, if the phalanges of your fingers hurt, you should not self-medicate. Only a doctor, after conducting the necessary examination, can make the correct diagnosis and accordingly prescribe the necessary therapy.