The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-03-07

opposite half of the brain. The conditions
are reversed in the case of a left-handed
man, except when he is trained TO use the
rgith hand in penmauship In that case,
while his speech center has been developed
on the right side of his brain, his writing
center is developed on the left.
Teachers are confronted by the ques-
lions as TO whether children should be
taught to use both hands equally we'll in
writing drawing and other skilled en-
Payments. Because idiots use both
hands equally we'll they are called am
bidextrous; but it is really because they
use both hands equally i'll. equally feebly
and badly, below the level of skill or
specialization. 1t is better to be one
handed than two-handed. One-handed-
ness Is condition of the most highly or
ganized mechanical effort, which is mid
iocre unless specialized. Higher organi-
cations, division of labor, differentiation
of function, emphasize the preferential
use Of one hand in more difficult activity.
Ambidexterity would lower the skill of
the preferred hand and exalt the subor-
dinate; but the average of efficiency Of
the two hands would never rise to the
skill OF the dexterous member. If in
grasping, picking, etc, there be choice
as TO which hand to bring into use, the
movement will be slower than when one
hand is instipctively and invariably pre-
ferred. One-handedness by making ac-
ton reader in adjustment has beneh-
clal effect on the rapidity of thought and
on the whole development of mental life.
Still, 1t would be desirable to improve the
efficiency of the subordinate hand. In
many of the arts high efficiency is re-
quired of both hands but this is a long
remove from absolute ambidexterity.
Should left-handers be taught right
handcdness? Against the practice rises the
argument that the left-hander when
taught right-hand penmanship develops
a writer center remotely separated from
the speech center in the opposite half OF
the brain. If so serious an affection as
word blindness can be caused by tumoT
or other growth obstructing the path of
communication between two centers locat-
ed in the brain cortex of the same hemi-
sphere, the danger of obstruction is much
increased when the path to be traversed
connecting the two centers for speech and
writing runs from the external surface OF
one hemisphere down through the commits
sural tracts and outward to the cortex OF
the other side.
This is not final, for 1t may be said that
learning to be right-handed gives an i'm
mense practical advantage in better adap-
tation to the customs and conveniences OF
our civilization, which are adapted to tho
use of the right-handed. Buttons, tools
scissors, doorknobs, even corkscrews, will
be found to be constructed for the right
handed A left-hander meets with incon-
venience and difficulty unless he adapts
himself to the use of his right hand ir
writing and in many employments in the
arts.
Another consideration which may appear
trivial, but is, nevertheless, of great i'm
portance, is that the left-hander finds him
| self out of harmony with his social envi
ronment. The natural repulsion inspired
by the sight of what is strange and appar
emily awkward and uncouth has handed
down from darker ages a superstition:
prejudice against the left-handed amount
ing to an unjustifiable. though widespread
belief in his mental and moral crookedness
The most serious effect is a subjective
one. The left-hander himself gets the feel
ing that he is odd and abnormal in an un
favorable sense, and 1t reacts badly upor
him, lessening his confidence, conceit ant
| ambition.