The Ring Finger

The ring finger is the fourth digit of the hand, located between the middle finger and the little finger. It is given the latin name 'digitus medio proximus' (the finger next to the middle), and is also known medically as digitus quartus, or digitus IV. In some cultures, for example, in Japan, it is also known as the 'medicine finger' due to its supposed healing power, whilst in others (such as Russia, Bulgaria and the Ukraine), it is known as the 'nameless finger' as it was believed to be the source of great power.

The Ring Finger and Weddings

In the west, the fourth finger of the hand is known as the ring finger as it is the one on which a wedding ring is traditionally worn. In many countries, the wedding ring is worn on the ring finger of the left hand, as it was believed that the vein that ran from the finger on this side of the body travelled straight to the heart. However, in Austria, Bulgaria, Denmark, Germany, Latvia, Norway, Poland, Russia and the Ukraine, the wedding ring is worn on the ring finger of the right hand, whilst in the Netherlands, Roman Catholics wear their engagement ring on the ring finger of the right hand, and their wedding ring on their left, whilst the Dutch Protestants do the reverse.

The Ring Finger in Science

There have been many scientific studies regarding the ring finger, and how it may be linked to health, sexuality, athletic ability and even financial success. The ratio between the ring finger and the index finger is believed to be linked to exposure to the male hormone testosterone in the womb. The higher the testosterone, the longer the length of the ring finger and the more 'masculine' the child. In general, women tend to have the same size ring finger and index finger, whilst in men, the ring finger is usually the longer of the two.

Some other findings include:

• Those who have longer ring fingers are thought to be better with numbers-based subjects such as maths and physics.
• In a study of stock traders, researchers found that the most successful had a relatively long ring finger. The study found that traders with long ring fingers made up over 10 times the earnings of their counterparts.
• In another study, it was found that homosexual men with older brothers had significantly longer ring fingers; however, those without older brothers had finger length ratios indistinguishable from heterosexual men. It was also found that lesbian women also tended to have the more 'masculine' arrangement - that is, they had longer ring fingers.
• A higher ring finger to index finger ratio is correlated with physically aggressive behaviour in men.
• It was found that those people with longer ring fingers were better at sports such as athletics and football.
• One study showed that women with ring fingers longer than their index fingers may be at greater risk for developing osteoarthritis, especially in the knee.
• Another study showed an increased risk of breast cancer in those women whose ring finger was shorter than their index finger.