The morning times., 1896-08-30

and sign of his moral pre-euine nee Or
the other hand there are those like Sill
Daniel Wilson, who hold that not only d,
mans two hands serve higher PURPOSES il
manipulation and Manufacture than the
apes; but man rises higher in the scale of
Intelligent superiority by converting one
hahd' the right, into the favored organ
OF his will
The claim that left handedness and ambi
dexterity prevail among savagcs and
primitive mankind is not verified by .ci
entific inquiry Actual observation Of
savage races shows that they are right
handed Important evidence as to print.
I'VE man as Well as to existing savages is
derived from the manner OF ORA wing pro-
files, as the unskilled draughtsman al
ways draw his profiles looking toward the
median line: those drawn by the right hand
face toward the Left. afd vice versa. 1t is
claimed that Iprfatiye. man was ambi-
dekfress because. 1suehA elics of his art
as are extant face either eey, but the great
majority are apparentiysright handlers, as
they face toward the left Such art.as is
left by the Egyptians. Assy3ians. and the
primitive Mayas OF Aneics show almost
all profiIes facing to tho 1ef4 except when
turned u, 1nn to preserve the flaH in groupings
N-iS curious to note how right ha ndetl-
ness influences the vocabulary of ali Ian
guagcs. 1t is said that among the native
Austria iians, FIJI Islanders ana Samoans TO
be right-banded means to be dex-
ferrous, proper, strong; while left
banded Means erriug, mistaken. unstable
Some Of our Indians derive the term right
hand from the verb, II know how In
Hebrew, Greek, Latin aud modern lam
guages to be left handed signifies to be
sinister, crooked, awkward, and worse
Inc primitive abacus was formed by the
fingers or The hands. Those of the left
hand We're counted npfto FIVE. than the
right followed. Grimm says this may OK
piain whyin differenf iangua ges the words
for the left hand refer tos.fhe root of
hve, those for right hand to the root of
ten The right is a term associated in
speech with what is honorable. while the
left Is the symbol of degradation.
One-sidedness affects not only the hand
out we find that the right eye is regarded
by many scientists as better adapted for
using the microscope or telescope The right
ear seems stronger. more discriminating
The teeth on the right side appear ca rli.r
as rule, and have more strength and dura-
bhity. 1t is claimed that the right side of
the body does not die so soon as the left; the
right radial pulse in dying can be felt after
the left has stopped beating.
"A popular theory holds that right hand
edhess was acquired through the more vul-
nerable left side needing protection, causing
Ihe rignt arm to be the only one used for
attack; the left arm was called the shield
arm and the right the sword arm. 1t is
generally agreed, however. that right hand
edness is not result acquired by habit
training or education. but is due TO some
natural anatomical cause.
The various causes assigned for right
handedness were critically discussed. A
very important point was urged from the
standpoint OF education.
Teachers are confronted by the question
as to whether children should he taurh, to
use both hands equally well in writing.
drawing and other skilled cmploymen:.;.
Because idiots use both hands equally we'll.
they are called ambidcxtro but IL is really
because they use both hands equally i'll.
equally feebly and badlt. below the level
OF skill or specialization. 1t is better to
be one handed than two handed
Ambidextcrity would lower the skill of
the preferred hand ard exalt the other: but
the average of efficiency of the two hands
would never rise to the cunning of the
dexterous member.
Sill II would be DESTROYS to improve the
efficiency of the subordinate hand In many
of the arts high efficiency is required OF
both hands; but this is u long move from
absolute ambidexterity: