The San Angelo press. (San Angelo, Tex.) 1897-1907, 1905-06-01
RIGHT HANDED FOLKS
WHY ARE THEY so VERY LARGELY IN
THE MAJORITY

There Are Two Factors In the Prob
lem, nm Inherited Tendency and
Constant Prncticc-Thc origin of
the Innate ProcIivIty.
That the great majority of persons
use the right hand with greater skill
than the left is doubtless due to two
influences an innate proclivity 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 it Is found
in the greater ease with which any en-.
tirely new act is performed by the right
than by the left hand. Training. how.
ever. is an important factor. a mature
pC---n, having lost the right hand by
| accident can achieve wonders with
the other If he only exercises patience,
perseverance and strong will.
The more mysterious of the two fac
tors In this problem is the Unborn tend.
ency. How did 1t arise? There are
exceptions to the rule. Perhaps two
out of every hundred babies arc left
handed But when you stop to think Of
| II the natural inclination of the other
ninety.cight is remarkable \ great
many psychologists have specialized in
regard TO its cause without reaching
any conclusion upon which all could
agree.
DR.. George NJ. Gould says In the
Popular Science Monthly that right
handednoss Is SO thoroughly ingratiat.
ed In human nature that 1t must have
been partially developed in the savage
ancestors of the race. Primitive man,
In his opinion, must have felt n definite
need for the exercise of his right hand
In preference to his left, and that ne.
cessity must have been recognized and
obcyed for long period continuously.
| The impulse could not well 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 rs chip.
! ping arrowhcads, weaving baskets and
welding clubs, bows and arrows 1t
could not have mattcrcd much which
| hand was employed.
When warfare had been carried TO
such stage of advancement rs to in
volvc the use of n 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 was left free for the more active
function of fighting with spear and
sword, ana with habitual exercise
.t,t .l..
nomcnon was Il 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 dcXtcrity, and something takes
place there In correspondence with cN-
tcrnal efficiency. with an increased
Use Of the right hand, DR. Gould thinks,
there must have been greater demands
upon the right eye, because vision must
prcCcdc the order to strike or TO give
! peaceful signals. In this way there
may have been developed Il kconer
power OF vision in the right eye than In
the left. Dir. Gould assumes that there
was and declares that fright handed
people are right eyed" ana that In their
brains the center Of vision Is on the
left side, in close proximity to that gov.
crnIng the right arm.
While civilization was yet Mt low
| level communication was carried on,
especially with strangers, largely in
the sign language. Barter laid the
foundations of arithmetic and called in
to play the digits. The preference al
ready given to the right hand In battle
may have guided men In the choice for
this service and also In official and So
cial ceremonies. Computation, DR..
Gould points out, was an intellectual
process which was conducted In the
speech center OF the brain. Nature was
compelled to take sides I'm locating the
latter and she placed 1t to the left Of
the middle. DR.. Gould thinks that the
choice was governed by the employ
mcnt 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 If the cerebral centers control
ling them were closely associated.
Before discussing the cause of left
handedness Dr. Gould calls attention to
the fact that with right handed people
the left hand Is occasionally called up
on to perform a task OF greater impOr-
lance than its mate. In eating the
fork Is used more than the knife. In