The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1894-11-24
WRITING WITH TWO HANDS
Vertical Writing and How 1t Prevents
the Evil CT Writer'S Cramp.

We have all heard of the barber who cuts
hair with amhdcXtcrous facility" Here
is Mr.. ,Jackcon, of West Norwood, writing
to the Morning Post to urge that we should
1t is well known. he says. chat Scrivcnnrs
palsy or writers crlmp is caused ly
excessive use of the muscles engaged in
the act of writing. 1t is also gcncHlll
known THAI the victims of this serious
malady are drawn almost exclusively from.
the ranks OF the ohliQuelv writing com
munity. Whatever this results from the
fact that the great majority Of our people
were and are slOpng writer's. or. as medical
and other authorities declare, from the
injurious effects of slanting the writing at
all, it is not for us to say; but we do know
that vertical writing is actually the only
hygiene system, and that it does not
induce the disease above referred to, ils
witness the typical case where suffice
from the cramp fully recovered after aban
doning the >loping style and adopting L..
upright.
One Of the best known specialists in ne
vous disorders writes just recently on i,
very Qd' ton, and gives as his opinion
founded on the observation and treatment
of Il large number of cases. that vertical
writing must be used il the disease is to ,g
aycrted or, as the alternative, ambilrN
teritl must be taught and acquired. since
upright penmanship is the only method
equally adapted for both hands. this is tan
tamount to saying, "Writc vertically with
one hand or both, but write vertically. -"
and writer's cramp will then become mat
ter of history. We have here an almost
irresistible argument for the universal
adoption OF vertical writing, the acquiring
of which is so wonderfully easy and simple
whatever the age or ability OF the writer
After tl.ese preliminary observations
what about lcIt-handcd pcnman>llip? is
it desirable or necessary What are lis
advantages or claims ? Surely, the attitude
of the Lancet is sufficient reply. For
first, it is not quite true that thousands
nay tens OF thouSands-of persons wit.
for very long pcrioIS-cight ten. rWrlN,
or even fourteen hours daily-and thi>
often for years together Is it not also
equally true that many of these persons.
quite Il large number in the aggregate ol
these clerical machines, soon get out oI
order. and work irregulary, while an
alarmingly large proportion of them cers,
working altogether at comparatively
early stage. utterly disabled. Now. il
these failures result from over worked
musclcs-and they certainly dot is
obvious that they could be avoided if the
cause Of them were removed.
Teach and practice left hand writing.
and the object is reached. The clerk,
copyist, or author tires his right hand. arm
etc, weares the muscles and deteriotrates
their powers, say, in the first half of the
iIC til'll lltt1 ItCbulSG W HIS reserve
set of muscles, and for the remainder f
the time the left side, hand and arm are
put into requisition, the right hand thus
obtaining that rest which in no other
condition could be secured. Or-assuminp
for the time being that both hands wrote
exactly the same style-they could be
used several times during the
day, and thus neither set of muscles would
get strained or fatigued at all. Thus the
first great advantage to be derived from
left hand writing is the avoidance of
writer's cramp-an atlliction that is becom-
ing more prevalent each year-and similar
troubles; and the second advantage is
to a minimum the extreme weari-
uess consequent upon long hours at the
desk. AmbideXterity in handwriting
should certainly be taught to the rising