The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1905-05-05
RIGHT HANDED FOLKS
WHY ARE THEY so VERY LARGELY1N
THE MAJORITY

There Are Two Factors In the Prob
lem, an Inherited Tendency ans
Constant Practicable Origin O.
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 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
person, 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 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
it the natural inclination of the other
n!nety-eight is remarkable. A great
many Psychologists have speculated 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
hanGedness is so thoroughly ingratiat-
eG In human nature that it must have
been partially developed in the savage
ancestors of the race. Primitive man,
in his opinion, must have felt a definite
need for the exercise of his right hand
ia preference to his left, and that ne
cessity must have been recognized and
obeyed for long period continuously.
The impulse could not we'll have die
tated his habits in eating, for knives
and forks are of recent origin. the
modern gun had not been invented,
ana writing was practically unknown,
Moreover, in such operations as chin
ping arrowheads, weaving baskets and
welding clubs, bows and arrows il
could not have mattered much which
hand was employed.
When warfare had been carried IN
such stage of advancement as to in
Voive the use Of shield, however, that
OBJECT was probably held on the left
size IN order to protect the heart. Then
as matter Of convenience the right
arm was left free for the more active
tulction OF fighting with smear AMI
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
WAich was situated in the left half Of
INC organ The brain is the real seat Of
al deXterity. and something takes
pace There in correspondence with OK.
ternal efficiency With an increased
use OF the right hand DR.. Gould thinks
'here must have been greater demands
upoh the right eye, because vision must
precede the order to strike or to give
peacetul signals. In this way there
may nave been developed keener
power l or vision in the right eye than in
'l' iefr. DR.. Gould assumes that +boro
was ana declares that Fright handod
people are right eyed" and that in thoir
pra'ns the center of vision is on tho
lelt SIDE, in close proximity to that gov.
erning the right arm. CIV
While civilization was VET at low
IeVel communication was carried on
especially with strangers largely IN
ne sign language. Barter laid tho
oundations of arithmetic and called in
o play the digits. The preference a.
eady given to the right hand in battlo
nay have guided men in the choice for
MS service and also in official and So
ial ceremonies. Computation, DR.
iould points out, was an intellectual
recess which was conducted in the
beech center Of the brain. Nature was
ompeiled TO take sides in locating the
't1er' and she placed it to the left of