The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1905-05-03

There Are Two Factors In the Prob
lem, an Inherited Tendency and
Constant PractIce-The origin of
the Innate ProcliVity.
That the great majority of persons
use the right hand with greater skill
than the left is doubtless due to two
Influences - an innate procliYity and
constant practice. The preference
shown by most infants at the age Of
one year for the use of the right hand
proves that there is an inherited tend |
ency Further evidence Of 1t IS found !
In the greater ease with which any ell |
tlrely new act Is performed by the right
than by the left hand. Training, how
ever, is an important factor. \ mature
person, having lost the right hand by
accident can achieve wonders with
the other if he only exercises patience,
perseverance and Il strong Will.
The more mysterious of the two fac
tors In this problem is the Unborn tend
ency. How did it arise? There are
exceptions to the rule Perhaps two
out Of every hundred babies are left
handed But when you stop to think of
1t the natural inclination of the other
ninety eight is remarkable, \ great
many PSYCHOLOGISTS have speeulated In
regard TO its cause without reaching
any conclusion upon which all could
agree
DIR. George NJ. Gould says in the
Popular Science Monthly that right
handcdness is SO thoroughly ingratiat-
ed In human nature that 1t must have
been partially developed in the savage
ancestors of the race. Primitive nun,
In his opinion, must have felt definite
need for the exercise of his right hand
In preference to his left, and that he
cessity must have been recognized and
obeyed for n long period continuously.
The impulse could not we'll have die
tatcd his habits In eating, for knives
and forks ARE OF recent origin, the
modern gun had not been Invented,
and writing was practically unknown.
Moreover, in such operations as chip
ping arrowheads, weaving baskets and
welding clubs, bows and arrows 1t
could not hive muttered much which
hand was employed,
When warfare had been carried to
such II stage of advancement as to in
volye the use of a shield, however that
object was probably held on the left
side in order to protect the heart. Then
as a matter of convenience the right
arm WIS left free for the more active
function of fighting with spear and
sword, and with habitual exercise
came special skill An attendant phe
nomenon was finer organization of
that particular center In the brain
which controlled these movements and
which was situated In the left half of
the organ The brain Is the real seat of
all dcxtcrliy, and something takes
place there In correspondence with eX-
ternal efficiency. With an increased
use of the right hand DIR Gould thinks,
there must have been greater demands
upon the right eye because vision must
precede the order to strike or to give
peaceful signals. In this way there
may have been developed II keencr
power of vision In the right eye than In
the left. Dr. Gould assumes that there
was and declares that right handed
brains the center of vision IS on the
left side. In close proximity To that gov
erning the right arm
While civilization was yet at II low
level communication was carried on
especially with strangers, largely In
the sign language Barter laid the
foundations of arithmetic and called in
10 play the digits The preference nj
ready given to the right hand In battle
may have guided men In the choice for
this service and also In official and so
clal ceremonies. Computation, Or
Gould points out was an intellectual
process which was conducted IN the
speech center Of the brain. Nature was
compelled to take sides In locating the
latter, and she placed ii to the left OF
the middle Br. Gould thinks that the
choice was governed by the employ
ment of the right hand for giving sig
nails So intimately related are the
functions of speech and vision and
the control of the muscular efforts with
the right arm that action would be
quicker il the cerebral centers control
ling them were closely associated
Before discussing the cause of left
handedness Br. Gould calls attention to
the fuet that with right handed people
the left hand is occasionally called up
ON to perform a task of greater impor
tance than its mate. In eating the
fork Is used more than the knife. In
playing violin or Nlolon2ello the fin
gerlng IL done with the left hand and
the bowling with the right. II Is sug
gestcd that some of these operations
may result from the superiority OF the
right eye Perhaps the latter can watch
and guide them better when they are
performed with the left than with the
right hand.
Left handedncss is considered by Or
Gould an inheritance from ancestors,
savage or civilized. who We're obliged
by some misfortune to abandon the use
OF the right hand. An even more infiu-
entail Injury. he thinks, would have
been as to the right eye. With the cul-
tvation of skill with the left baud. he
believes. there followed change in
the organization Of the brain Owing
TO disease the center. which had for
merly controlled action, lost It's vlgor
and that on the opposite side acquired
Increased power. Dr Gould says that
the speech center was also transferred
from the left side To the right OF the
brain IN consequence. In the transmits
sion Of the cerebral popularity 10 Off
spring he finds the key to the nantes
tation Of left handeducss AT tender
age. New York Tribune
r,,,5,,.i..,,... g., . fs.,,.t 81 4. - -