The Plymouth Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1869-1941, 1869-11-18
THE EDUCATION OF THE HAND.


to be generally considered. Children are
told to hold their knives in the right hand
when cutting their food, and when this
necessary operation is completed, to lay il
down and use their forks while eating,
still employing the right hand. The only
further instruction they receive in regard
to the left hand, is to keep it clean in COM
mon with the right hand, and not to get
into the habit of thrusting it into their
pockets. They are taught that whenever
one hand only is required, the preferences
to be given to the right Thus the left
hand is, with the large majority of people,
comparatively useless member, employed
only 90 supplement the other in all man.
ual operations.
Without pausing::to inquire into the orr
gin of this senseleSs custom, it is sufficient
for our purpose to say that it has no foun-
dation in the anatomy of the hand, or In
any natural popularity of the human
mind To the anatOmist both hands are
alike gifted by nature, and constitute most
beautiful and complex machines. So
much does the power and dominion of
man over inferior animals, crude mate
rails, and natural forces, depend upon the
hand, that were it possible to deprive the
human race of this important member,
and put in its stead mere paw, or a hoof,
soon find common level with the beasts
notwithstanding his superior intellect
This assertion, of course, does not admit
the possibility of using the foot as a sub
stitute for the hand, which has been sue
cessfully done in several remarkable in
stances.
Should any OF our accomplished book
keepers, editors, or any other class of pro-
fesSiOnal men, accustomed all his life to
write with his right hand only, get that
hand crushed by an accident on his way
home some evening, the inconvenience,
loss of time, and perhaps loss OF lucrative
position that would be likely to accrue be-
fore he could recover its use, or in case of
its total loss, before ne could acquire the
art of writing with his left hand, would be
serious matter. Many young man
found the loss of the right hand serious
matter during the recent war, and many
another has thanked God while submit
ting to the surgeons knife, that it was
only the lett arm that had to be sacrificed.
As well might we teach children to hop
about on the right foot, to keep the left
eye closed, and to stop the left ear with
cotton, as to teach them to magnify the
value of the right hand at the expense of
the left. Nor, in renOuncing this absurd
ity, would it be necessary to violate exist
ing social conventionalities. The fork
may be held'in the right hand when eating.
and the knife may take its place in cutting
food. These are small matters, observed
only Tor conventional reasons In driving
on country roads we always turn out ia
the right, but on that account we do not
consider SPAWN on a horses left leg any
less serious than one on his right leg
The first thing, then, to be considered in
the education of the hand, is the establish
ment of both hands on an equal footing
We may next pass to the consideration Of
its uses and structure.
The hand is essentially the organ OF
touch. Few people appreciate the vast
amount of information We obtain through
this one avenue to The mind what sub
tile ideas OF texture and quality in material
OF comparative weight, of unseen motion
and temperature, are obtained solely
through the sense of touch. Fewer still
appreciate TO what an extent thi.
sense can be educated. The blind
substitute it for sight, and are enabled
to gain ideas. and perform feats O
manual skill through its exercise
which are indeed surprising to those who
see. Surgeons cultivate this sense till bI
laying finger upon an artery throbbinc
under stratum of Overlaying tissues
they can judge how deep to make the in
cislOn over 1t, without charging the blood
vessels. Moreover, all very skillful sur
surgeons use the knife in either hand witt
equal facility.
Such nicely of touch is essential in al
very nice and delicate manipulations
And here let us note a fact first brought {
our notice by very skillful Germa1
matchmaker, to wit, that the practice {
punlshing children with the rattan or ferul
hand
schools, must necessarily be detrimenta
to this sense. 1t was his custom wbe
taking his children to school. to reoues
the teacher to adopt some other mode Z
punishment than this barbarous metbo,
explaining that as his children were TO h
bred to the art of matchmaking, it was @:
sentlal that their delicacy of touch shoul
remain unimpaired. While we do not il
tend 10 discuss here the much debate
question OF the necessity of corDoral pur
lsnment, In the training of children, W
VIII say that II such punishment is eve
heeued, nature seems to us to have Or,
Vlded for the emergency, and that no del
cate nerves muscles and bones need he OF
daLgered II its administration.
We should extend this article too mucl
were we TO attempt minute ANALYSIS {
the Eand; but we assert that the mo.
complete education and DEVELOPMENT ,
It's powers can only be obtained through
perfect knowledge of its parts. and the
offices. This fact has been appreciated h
at least one of the authors OF Diano- fort
methods now IN use in the schools, an
also Dy private music teachers; and in Ion
experience and observation upon the sui
IeC' we nave found that pupils progre
huch more rapidly both in music and pei
Inanship, who are first prepared nv
knowledge of the structure of the ham
ana by special exercises calculated ,
develop the weaker muscles. and to rend,
each independent of the others Tn II
education oil the fingers, the first thing II
instr uC'or mas 10 surmOunt, is not Onl
natural but artificial INEQUALITIES in tbs
strength and mobility The fingers are n,
naturally OF equal power, and the relatiy
disability of the weaker ones is increase
Dy the employment of the stronger. An
disuse OF the weaker ones In the pla,
ing OF musical instruments, it is necessar
10 eliminate inequalities of power, and rel
uer the myers, as nearly as may be of ecu;
Ief, without weakening the NATURAL
stronger ones. In other words. the wea
myers should be as relatively strong :
Is natural, while all ought to be niue
stronger than any would be without
thorough course of education.
III is TACT known to all good teacbe,
that excellence in penmanship-ease an
rapldIty being assumed as indisdensab
elements OF excellence-is only obtaine
Dy nrst securing proper position for m
hand and arm while holding the pen. A
teachers must have observed how difficu
OF attainment a proper position is wit
the majority of pupils. One pupil finds
Impossible to fex the thumb properl
called almost for the first time into Ma,
BY gripping the pen as though it were
be pinched in two. Another braces n