The World. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1891-1896, 1893-03-25
THE RIGHT HAND.
why People Uso 1t Instead OF tho
Left.
A Question Easier Pht Than Answered.
Many Statements and Theories More
or Less Plausible - Inconven-
fences Of tho LEFT Hand.

Why anybody should be left-handcd
Is one OF those matters in which the
question Is easier put than answered
The reason why, we are riFht-handed
has been met by statements and theo-
ries more or less plausible. In the first
place, II has been shown that the hu-
man body is not symmetrical The
right lung is larger than the left. The
liver, during the Inspiration of the
lungs, swings TO the right side, SO that
the center OF gravity Of the body Is
brought nearly over the right foot
The weight Of the vlsccra to the right
Of the medal line Is nearly a round
and half heavier than that TO the left
of II. All this, while IL gives mechan-
ical advantage to the right arm ia
working, and to the right shoulder In
raising q weight, shows us also, pas
sively, burdens are more easily carried
on the left shoulder, for in that case
we stoop forward so as to bring the
center OF gravity through the stronger
right limb. Again, It has been pointed
out that the left hemisphere 81 the
brain Is larger and better supplied with
blood-vessels than the right, and that
II Is the left hemisphere of the brain
which, working crosswise, controls the
muscles Of the right arm and hand.
Then there Is the sword-and-shield
story. which considers the earliest con-
dition Of man TO have been militant.
To soldiers, the vital organ, the heart,
being on the left side, it was thought
necessary to cover it with the shield
and WELD the sword in the right hand.
True, against these is the wet-nurse
theory, which supposes left-handedness
to be favored in youth by the fact Of
the infant being carried most frequent
ly on the left arm, thus giving more
scope TO the early use oftae child's left
hand. Fashion, however, Is always
alert, and to this imperial mistress
even our limbs must submit. Fashion
necessarily demands that the right
hand should have the preference.
So that with all these weighty rea-
sons why we should be right-handed,
it is marvellous why left-handed peo-
pie should be found at all. Yet such
are by no means uncommon. The
teacher Of an elementary school who
watched the proportion for many years,
gave II as his experience that, in the
rural district in which his school was
Situated, more than five per cent. OF
the children, we're left-handed. Ia these
cases the tendency could be shown to
be hereditary; and the left hand, even
TO the size Of the thnm b-nails, showed
itself larger than the right 1t was
painful to see the attempts made BY
the left-handed pupils to write and
cipher normally; and. after the right
hand had been forced into service, the
result was a compromise, the writer
generally developing handwriting in
clined neither TO right nor left. In the
making Of figures, both the 8 and the d
were for time reversed, and III some
cases formed BY drawing the straight
line down ind curving the other from
below. In the mechanical trades, tho
carpenters bench, his gimlets, screws
and many Of his planes are made to
suit the right hand, so that a left-hand-
ed apprentice is handicapped, and must
either fight against nature or obtain
tools fitted for. the left hand An elab.
crate print-cutter's gauge for measnr-
ing OF different sizes of copper re
quired to be driven into the pattern il
made fora left-handcd man is Of little
value when exposed for sale.
But we do not need to golfar for IL
Illustrations Of how inconvenient
world this is for the left handed. Pur-
chase q scarf, and the handed
owner finds the slit, through which they
part requires to be pushed to catch the
PIN, on the wrong side for him. Let
him sly down to dinner. and the waiter
brings the dishes from which he selects
part to tie wrong shoulder Let
him hit q mustaehe cup, ana lie per-
ceives his popularity has not been
taken into account Let him attempt
70 NOW, and he fain would reverse the
shape Of the scythe. Let him learn
driiI or dancing, or endeayor to work.
IN harmonious combination, and his
awkwardness is forever brought home
to him.
And yet, on the other side, the de-
sPised left hand makes good its claims
IN many cases to be the DETER Of the
TWO. The fingers that touch and ad.
Just with such nicely the strings OF the
violin are surely AZ cunning as those
tnet move the bow. The hand that
guides the reins and steers with exact
ness the horse through, the crowded
streets Is quite as cunning as, one
might say much more than. the hand
mat Yields the whip But great IL
h.