The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-08-28
ARE YOU LEFT-MlNDED?
A Medical Expert Calls Attention to
Facts About the Brain

An Answers representative recently
had an interesting conversation with
DIR. W1throw, young member of the
medical profession, who has devoted
considerable attention to the brain,
though he modestly confesses that he is
is yet but at the beginning of his stud
les, which later may lead to remarkable
results.
You see,' said DR.. Withrow, that
ordinary persons trouble themselves but
little as to how far their brain fnfiu-
ences their most ordinary muscular ac-
lions of every day life. and yet it is a
fact that before you move a limb the
order to move that limb must be con-
veyed to it from the brain. The head
quarters in the brain from where these
orders are issued is known as the speech
center.
THE speech center lies either at the
right or left side of the brain. If it lies
on the right side the orders will be
transmitted more rapidly to the left
than to the right limbs, and make per-
son what is generally called left-handed,
though in reality more correct term
would be right-minded. On the other
hand, person having the speech center
on the left viii exercise their right
limbs more readily than their left, and
such an individual might be called left
minded.
Young children. who naturally use
their left hand in preference to their
right, are simply obeying the orders is
sued from the brain. and if not taught
to use their right hand will grow up
left-handed. When taught from their
earliest years to use their right hand
they find no difficulty in doing so later
on, because the habit becomes so strong;
but I have seen one or two rare in
stances where reversion to the use of the
| left hand has come about late in life.
One case was after a long attack of fe-
yer, when during the period of delirium
the patient began to use the left hand
more than the right. and during Fecov-
cry took his medicine with his left
hand.
Both sides of the brain are capable of
performing the duties of giving COM
mands to the limbs; but, as said, the
orders only come from one side, either
from the right or left; but If the side
upon which the speech center lies gets
injured. and is rendered incapable of
performing it's duty, then the other side
takes up the work, though it requires
some time before it can do so properly.
Surprising a man meets with a bad
fall or accident of any kind which dam
ages the speech center on the left. he
| becomes dumb for the time being. Then
/ the right side slowly learns how to give
orders, and the man gradually regaius
power of speech after some years, but
! in many such cases ne becomes left
handed, because now the orders from the
brain are transmitted more rapidly to
/ the left than to the right.
You have often experienced, sup
pose, the curious feeling that you have
done something or met someone at some
| time or other when in reality you have
not done so at all. There are two or
| three theories to account for this hallu-
cination, but the now generally accepted
theory is, that in such cases one side
of the brain acts slightly quicker than
the other. Thoughts of this sort, by the
way, have nothing to say to the speech
center which only controls muscular ac-
ton In thinking of any idea or per-
son, both sides of the brain act stimuli
taneously; but as I say, in some cases
one side acts bit quicker than the 9TH
er.
"Supposing the left side of your brain
conceived the idea that you were going
to tie your bootlace, and that the right
| side was, say, a thousandth part of a
second behind hand in grasping the
same idea the result. when the right
side did grasp it, would be that you
would imagine that you had already tied
your bootlace-
"Of course. no one could possibly no.
tice the delay in the action of one side
of the brain, but the result, when it does
occur is to make a person fancy he had
already performed an action which In
reality he had only thought of perform
ing, and the strangest part of such an
Authorization is that the contemplated
action seems to have been done long
time ago. OF course, being right or left
minded has nothing to say to a person s
intellect-a very clever or very duh
man may be either one or the other
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