The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-04-10
LEFT HANDED PEOPLE.
They Are Most Numerous in the Grim
inaI Glass.

From the New York Tribune.
"As is universally known, we use the
right hand very much more commonly
than the left, the number of persons
who are more agile with the left hand
being comparatively small. They are or
dinarily found among women, children
and savages, and they were more numer-
Gus in ages past than they are now.
Much has been written of these persons,
but as no one has heretofore tried to de-
termine their frequency by means Of sta
tistics, l decided to undertake that task
with the aid of my friend Professor Mar
ro," says Professor Cesare Lombroso in
1.-THE North American Review"
Among 1,029 operatives and soldiers 1
found a proportion of 4 per cent in men
and to per cent In women. Among
lunatics the proportion is not much diff
ferent On the other hand, studying q
certain number of criminals. the quota
Of left-handedness was found more than
tripled in men, 10 per cent, and nearly
quintupled in women % per cent Some
particular kinds of criminals, however
as, for example. swindlers, offered me
again a much greater proportion, 20 per
cent, while murderers and rayishers give
less-from to 10 per cent. At all events,
this Is a new characteristic. which con-
meets criminals with savages, and differ
entiates them from sane people, as well
as lunatics.
"As appetite comes in eating accord
ing to the proverb), l wished to see II
/ could not go further in my researches
Until now, 1 thought, left-handcdness
only has been studied. Would 1t not be
worth the trouble to search If there be
not, also, what one may call left-sided-
ness as applied to the senses--that In,
If there be not men who have a greater
sensibility ON the left than Oh tho right
side? With this idea instituted a kind
Of physiological surveillance over num-
Der of my friends and colleagues, and
ever some wurlinginen.
LAS a result, ! found that left-sided-
ness Is in much iarger proportion than
left-handedncss, showing itself in no less
than Is per cent OF normal people. The
curious fact appeared also that left
handed people DO not have more of this
sensitive left-sidedness than right hand
ed people. and not oven as much at least
In the sense of touch, as criminals, who
average 81 per cent. although they shaw
a differ nee 10 the Intensity ~ tn, sense
OF touch The proportion Of sensitive left
sided people among criminals, however,
becomes very much moro II one takes
into account the sensibility to pain. which
left side. and visual sharpness, which,
according to the calculations of DR.. bono.
is not only greater in them than IN hon
est men. but is more accumulated in the
left eye than in the right In lunatics, as
is revealed by the researches OF Tonnni
and Amadei, this sensitive left-sidedness
is almost more the rule than the excep-
ton, rising as high as "A per cent. 1t ap-
pears. then, that left handed people are
more numerous among criminals. and
sensitive left-sided people among luna
tics.
Here I will note curious thing. Long
before I. after much technical obserya-
ton, came to this conclusion, the people
in the provinces Of Emilia, Lombardy
and Tuscany had already declared the
same when they framed and used the
saying, He is left-handed.' to express
the idea that a person IL untrustworthy."