Re: Poison Finger

Thank you everyone for your replies - I guess this will have to remain one of life's little mysteries!

The suggestion from keezoy regarding the whitlow makes a kind of sense and solo's mention of the herbalist reminded me that Mum was in the St John's Ambulance during the war, so maybe that was where she picked up the idea.

There are many old sayings that we were told as children weren't there? Longdog's 'Raving stagmas' being one of them ... that reminded me of Mum telling us that we would end up with St Vitas Dance if we kept jigging about! I think that was once the name of a medical condition but I'm not sure now.

Re: Poison Finger

I have heard of the “poison-finger” but am as mystified as you as to its origins.

My Great Aunt taught me never to apply creams with my index finger because it was the “poison finger” but she told me I should always use my “medical finger”, which was my 3rd finger (ring finger)

I asked my Mum about it and she told me it was an old wives tale but that it was easier to apply only light pressure with my “ring finger” than with the “index finger” which was used as a tool for more robust tasks, so was less gentle for massage.

That seemed to make sense and satisfied me, so I have always used my ring finger to apply ointment to wounds or eye creams etc. (I notice my beautician also uses only her ring fingers to massage creams into the delicate eye area when she is giving me a facial, so maybe she has been taught the same thing)

When I grew up, like you, I did wonder where these old wives tales came from.
I discovered the “medical finger” reference may have come from the ancient Greeks, who used this term. I think it was also connected to their idea that the ring finger was linked to the heart (hence wedding rings are worn on it) and it was thought this link to the heart gave the finger healing properties.

As for the poison finger, I wondered if maybe witches / herbalists used the index finger for inflammatory substances, so would never use it for massaging in healing salves to avoid cross-contamination.
When I was looking for other explanations, some years ago, I came across another term for poison finger - another ancient term is “dog finger” and there was a suggestion the index finger was reputed to interfere with healing because it had been cursed since Judas used his index finger to point at Jesus during the Last Supper, so it was all bound up with betrayal.
I never really got to the bottom of that claim, as I could find no further reference to it.

So, I’m not really any wiser - but I still apply ointments and creams with my ring finger!

Re: Poison Finger

Coincidentally, my Great Aunt who told me about poison finger was also in the St John’s Ambulance Brigade during the war!
Maybe that’s what they were taught there!

Re: Poison Finger

Thank you Boot, that was really interesting. I was not told to use my ring finger, only not to use my index finger ... I think these ideas are buried in the mists of time now.

Interesting that your Great Aunt was in St John's Ambulance Brigade too though, perhaps it did come from there.

Re: Poison Finger

IIRC, at primary school we used to play a game called "Cacky Finger Man", which was really tig (or tag) in which "its'" index finger was covered in (imaginary) poo - once a victim had been touched by the "Cacky Finger" then they became "it" with poo on their finger .....

The boys didn't mind becoming "it" but the girls screamed like "stuck pigs" and often cried ..... life is cruel at school .....

Re: Poison Finger

A left handed friend has just told me this. She knew about the reason for the tale years ago. It has given her quite a memory smile Margaret

If you apply an ointment with the forefinger of the right hand the sore will not heal. This is because this finger is said to be the ‘poison' finger.

Seems lefties were fighting back in the old days. Don't you just love these old wives sayings