Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1905-05-27
RIGHTHANDED i. FOLKS \,
Why ARE THEY 80 VERY LARGELY IN
THE MAJORITY -

There Are Two Factors I'm 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 proolivity and
constant practice. The preference
shown hH most infants at the age Of
pne year for the use Of the right hand
proves that there is an inhssited tend
sncy. Further evidence Of it Is found
IN the greater ease with which any en-
drely 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
tsrs 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. A great
many Psychologists have speculated in
regard to it's cause without reaching
any conclusion upon which all could
agree.
DR.. George NJ. Gould says in the
Popular Science Monthly that right
handedness is SO thoroughly ingratiat-
ed 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 definite
need for the exercise Of his right hand
in 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,
and writing was practically unknown.
Moreover, in such operations as chip.
ping arrowheads, weaving baskets and
welding clubs, bows and arrows it
could not have mattered much which
hand was employed.
When warfare had been carried to
such q stage Of advancement as to in
volve the use Of shield, however, that
object was probably held on the left
side in order to protect the heart. Then
as matter Of convenience the right
arm was 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 a finer organization Of
that particular center in the brain
which controlled these movements and
the organ. The brain is the real seat of
all dexterity, and something takes
place there in correspondence with ex.
ternal efficiency. With an increased
use Of the right hand, DR.. Gould thinks.
there must have been greater demands
upon the right eye, because visisn must
Precede the order to strike or to give
peaceful signals. In this way there
may have been developed a keener
power Of vision in the right eye than in
the left. DR.. Gould assumes that there
was and declares that fright handed
people are right eyed" and that in their
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 a low
level communication was carried on
especially wfh strangers, largely in
the sign language. Barter laid the
foundations Of arithmetic and called in.
to play the dfgits. The preference al.
ready given to the right hand in battle
may have guided men in the choice fol-
this service and also in official and so.
oial ceremonies. Computation, Dr.
Gould points out, was an intellectual
process which was conducted in the
spaach center Of the brain. Nature was
compelled to take sides in locating the
latter, and she placed it to the left OF
the middle. DR.. 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 II the cerebral centers control.
ling them were closely associated
Before discussing the cause Of left
handedness Dr. Gould calls attention tc
the fact that with right handed people
the left hand Is occasionally called up
on to perform a task Of greater impor
lance than it's mate. In eating thu
fork Is used more than the knife. In
playing violin Or violoncello the fin
gering is done with the left hand and
the bowling with the right. 1t is sug
gested 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 am
performed with the left than with the
right hand.
Left handedness Is considered by DIR.
Gould an inheritance from ancestors,
savage or civilized, who were 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 eve. With the cul.