ABSTRACT

The hand is (in more senses than one) the medium of introduction to the outside world. Its unique repertoire of prehensile movements, grasp, pinch, hook-action and tactile acuity sets us apart from all other species. We can think of the hand as a sophisticated tool, but it is also an organ of communication, used for gesturing and expressing a range of emotions from anxiety and fear to submission and helplessness, scorn and hatred, determination and control, or tenderness and love. We are more aware of our hands than of any other part of the body; when they go wrong we know about it from a very early stage.