The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-08-31
RIGHT HANDED FOLKS
WHY ARE THEY so VERY LARGELY IN
THE MAJORITY!
There Are Two Factors In the Prob
lem, an Inherited Tendency an'
Constant rrnctice-The Origin O.
the Innate Proclivity.

Constant rrnctice-The Origin o.
the Innate Proclivity.
That the great majority OF person,
use the right hand with greater SIX;
than the left is doubtless due to two
influences - an innate procliyity AZ D.
constant practice. The preference
shown by most infants at the age o
one year for the use of the right ham
proves that there is an inherited tcuG
ency. Further evidence of ii is foun
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 a 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 let
handed. But when you stop to think of
it the natural inclination of the other
ninety 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
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 hanG
in preference to his left, and that ne
cessity must have been recognized and
obeyed for a 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 II
could not have mattered much which
hand was employed.
When warfare had been carried tt
such a stage of advancement as to in
volve the use of a shield, however, that
object was probably held on the left
side in order to protect the heart. Their
as a 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 q 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 dexterity, and something take:
place there in correspondence with ex
ternal efficiency. With an increased
use of the right hand, DR. Gould thinks
there must have been greater demand:
upon the right eye, because vision mus
| precede the order to strike or to givt
| peaceful signals. In this way ther'
may have been developed q keene,
power Of vision in the right eye than il
was and declares that fright handed
people are right eyed" and that in thei
brains the center of vision is on thu
! 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 with strangers, largely il
the sign language. Barter laid tn
! foundations of arithmetic and called in
| to play the digits. The preference al
ready given to the right hand in battl
! may have guided men in the choice TO
this service and also in official and Sc
cial ceremonies. Computation, d.
! Gould points out, was an intellectual
process which was conducted in tn
| speech center Of the brain. Nature wa
compelled to take sides in locating tn
| latter, and she placed it to the left o
the middle. DR.. Gould thinks that tn
choice was governed by the employ
ment of the right hand for giving sic
mails. So intimately related are tn
functions of speech and vision an
the control of the muscular efforts wit
the right arm that action would
quicker if the cerebral centers control
ling them were closely associated.
/ Before discussing the cause of lef
handedness DR.. Gould calls attention t
the fact that with right handed peopl
the left hand is occasionally called VI
on to perform a task of greater impol
lance than its mate. In eating tn
fork is used more than the knife.
playing q violin or violoncello the fir
gering is done with the left hand an
the bowling with the right. 1t is sug
gested that some of these operation
may result from the superiority of tn
right eye. Perhaps the latter can waite
and guide them better when they ar
performed With the left than with tn
right hand.
/, Left handedness is considered by d.
Gould an Inheritance from ancestor:
savage or civilized, who were oblige
by some misfortune to abandon the us