digitation

Touching; manipulation with the fingers.

At length, I resorted to the only present remedy, that of vain attempts at digitation, [...] where the pain my fingers gave me in striving for admission, though they procured me a slight satisfaction for the present, started an apprehension, which I could not be easy until I had communicated to Phoebe and received her explanations upon it.

Any of various finger-like processes (outgrowths) found in plant and animal tissues.