The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-03-05
HOW PEOPLE COME
TO BE RIGHT-HANDED
Old Theories on the Subject Over
thrown and Disproved by Ex-
periments of Modern Scientists
Does Civilization Tend to Lessen
the Supposed Savage Tendency to
Left-Handedness.

If you are asked if you have any
theory as to right it is
likely that you will reply that you have
no theory to account for it, that it is
simply the result of habit. Yet that is
a theory right off, and a bad one, too
rejected by the scientific world, in spite
of the claim that the habit was &C
quired through the more Vulnerable left
side needing protection, causing the
right arm to be the only one used for
attack, the left arm being called the
shield arm, and the right the sword
arm Modern science holds that the
higher the civilization the more highly
does one hand, usually the right, de-
velop in efficiency.
Is it true that man, in his early prim-
tive state, or under present savage
conditions, is to be considered ambi-
dextrous? Not so, if we believe men Of
science. Actual observation shows
savages to be right-handed. Important
evidence as to primitive man. as well
as to existing savages, is derived from
the manner of drawing profiles, as the
unskilled craftsman always draws his
profiles looking toward the median
line; those drawn by the right hand
face toward the left, and vice versa.
Along this line l suggested expert
ments to some Philadelphia public
school principals upon their pupils,
largely unskilled craftsmen. Interest
ing results showed that in the upper
grades, where some instruction in
drawing has been given, there were II
per cent of the profiles drawn facing
the right, while in the lower grades,
where unskilled craftsmanship pre-
walls, only 21s per cent faced to the
right, a proportion corresponding 10
the ordinary number of left-handers.
A few recent writer's are exclaiming
that primitive man was ambidextrous
because such relics of his art as are
extant face either way; the facts, how
ever. do not warrant this claim. The
great majority were apparently right
handlers, as their profiles generally face
toward the left. Such art as is left by
the Egyptians, Assyrians and the
primitive MayaS of America show al
most all proffles facing to the left, ex-
cept when turned to preserve the bal
ance in groupings of figures. Some, as
Daniel G. Brinton, the anthropologist,
claim that flint arrow-heads whose
points defect toward the right were
made by left-handed Indians. but it
has been conclusively shown by Mer-
Ger, the geologist, that the grain of
the stone has more to do with the
right or left detection of the point
the flint arrowhead.
NOT DUE TO HABIT.
As to its origin, right-handedness
cannot be regarded as result acquired
by habit training or education, but as
due to some natural anatomical cause
The crossing of the nerves as they pass
from the spinal cord to the brain at
the medulla oblongata causes the
and sensations of one side
of the body to be associated with the
opposite side of the brain; so we find
are left-brained and vice
versa. Sir Daniel Wilson regards right
handedness as the result of the lack of
symmetry in the two halves of the
brain, and asserts that the one-sided-
ness of muscular activity is caused pri-
marily by the dominant influence of
one side of the brain in relation to the
discharge of nerve force to the opposite
side of the body. 1t would seem, how
ever, that the order OF casualty
should be reversed, and that the one
of the brain should be re-
garded as the effect and not the cause
of one-sided muscular activity. and this
is in harmony with current biological
doctrine as to the evolution OF the
brain and nervous system.
Wilson claimed that a right
mans left brain ought to weigh more
than the right and vice versa This is
incapable of verification. as no
anatomist has been found who is so
skilful that his knife, cutting down
through the basal ganglia, can divide
the brain into two exact halves, separ-
ated by a perfect median line.
Some writer's assert that the one
sidedness of the brain is due to the ar
of the arteries, causing a
more direct supply of blood from the
heart to the left side of the brain, thus
it the seat of superior vital
force, and thence follows. in conse-
quence, the preferential use of the right
hand.
THE REAL CAUSE.
A cause for right handedness may be