Jackson's Gymnastics for the Fingers and Wrist / being a system of gymnastics, based on anatomical principles, for developing and strengthening the muscles of the hand for musical, mechanical and medical purposes: with thirty-seven diagrams

by Edwin Ward Jackson

I inquired further, “Are those exercises not very fatiguing?” to which I was answered, “They certainly are very trying to the muscles and nerves;” and whether “the health of the students, male and female, did not suffer thereby?” to which the reply was, that it did, and that, indeed, it was sometimes necessary for them to discontinue playing for some months; but then they added, “It must be remembered that learning to play the piano was in itself at all times attended with very considerable difficulties.”

I observed that this result was really lamentable; and inquired whether there did not exist any other method for obtaining the same end and becoming proficient on the piano? To this I received a negative answer, and was again told, “After all possible experiments, it is the opinion of all artists and teachers at the present time, in all cities in Europe, that the method alluded to is the most effective of any we know for imparting quickness and flexibility to the joints of the fingers and wrist.”

Now on observing that my daughters suffered in the same manner, I said to myself, “There must surely be something wrong here.” And here I would mention the fact that when I was 12 or 13 years of age I learnt the violin, and afterwards for upwards of 35 years discontinued it. But later in life, desiring to accompany my children, I was induced to take up the violin again. I then found that, although I was in all other respects exceedingly strong and healthy and capable of all athletic exercises, my fingers and hand in a few minutes became painfully fatigued. The same result followed whenever I took the violin in hand,—in fact, I found that my fingers were the only weak parts of my body. This happened a few years ago, about the same time when the above-mentioned inquiries took place, exciting in me great surprise and an earnest desire to search into the cause. I thought to myself, “There must underlie some unknown hidden cause to account for this phenomenon. I will thoroughly probe the matter.” For this purpose I now put myself in the way of those individually who earn their bread by the sweat of their brow, viz., the smith, the joiner, the bricklayer, the labourer, the peasant, the gardener, the wood-cutter, the miner, &c. &c. I found that all these persons work with their arms, and thereby acquire muscle like steel and arms like giants; but that none of them work with their fingers.

After this I visited boys’ and girls’ schools, and also observed them in their families; and there I found again that nearly all of them in their work made no use of the fingers. The same observation I made with the educated classes, of every age and sex.

This discovered to me the fact that the muscles of the fingers are extremely little exercised in the ordinary occupations of life; and must, therefore, on physiological ground, be weak; a fact of much importance.

I then repaired to the most renowned gymnastic establishments of the Continent, and begged to be shown all the varied gymnastic exercises practised on the body, from the crown of the head to the sole of the foot, and when all these various movements had been exhibited before me, I inquired “But where are your gymnastic exercises for the fingers?” “We have none.” “Why?” “We never thought of it.” “But they require them surely as much or more than all!” “It has never occurred to us; we did not know the fingers required gymnastics, and they have been entirely overlooked.” This disclosed to me another great fact; namely, that the fingers are the only active members of the human body to which a properly constituted system of gymnastic exercises has NOT been applied.

I thereupon visited houses and institutions where men do work with their fingers, viz., where carvers in wood and ivory, in steel, copper, and stone, painters and draughtsmen, watchmakers and fine mechanists, spinners and weavers, printers and compositors, &c., drive their trade, and after that, people who are in the habit of writing much, and even the whole day, such as authors, copyists, clerks, stenographers, lithographers, as well as sempstresses and workwomen;—in short, all those who have much finger-work, or earn their living by their fingers. And here I observed all kinds of finger diseases, such as stiffness of the joints and limbs, writers’ cramp, hands and forearms debilitated in the highest degree, paralyzed limbs, nervous weakness, &c. Then I said to myself, “A light begins to dawn upon me. I find, first, that the fingers are the least exercised, in the ordinary occupations of life, of all the active members of the body; secondly, that they are on that account relatively and physiologically the weakest; and, thirdly, that they are also the only active members which are not gymnastically trained and treated. I must consider the matter now ANATOMICALLY, PHYSIOLOGICALLY, and GYMNASTICALLY.”

And I forthwith began to make all sorts of artistic and mechanical experiments, for the purpose of gymnastically exercising, stretching, and developing the muscles, the ligaments, and joints of the fingers and hands in all directions, so as to strengthen and prepare them for playing the piano and the violin, as well as other instruments, and for all kinds of finger-work and handicraft.

In doing so I studied the physiology of the muscles and ligaments, and directed especial attention to the transverse metacarpal ligament. In comparing this anatomy with the difficulties experienced, I sought to discover a means more particularly of stretching the ligaments or bands which run transversely across the hands and knuckles. This I succeeded in effecting, and then I discovered, to my astonishment, that the moment I had applied my gymnastic movements to these stout and very obstinate elastic bands, the muscles became instantaneously looser, and moved with greatly increased freedom and agility. In a word, the muscles were set free.

At the same time I tried on myself various simple, natural, free movements with the joints of the fingers, in order to examine them practically and physiologically, and thus to found a system on solid principles. And I may here be permitted to state as the result, in my own case, that though at that time 54 years of age, after I had diligently practised the course of gymnastic exercises herein described, a comparatively short time, every day, my fingers and wrists became so strong and flexible that I was able to play, and can now play upon the violin many hours daily in succession without fatigue.