Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1913-07-29
Ambldsxtsrity Gives New Lease OF
DEVELOPMENT OF THE BRAIN THROUGH
ExrRCIsE OF THE LEFT HAND.

Ono of the most ambidextrous men
that ever lived was Sir Edwin Landseer,
who could simultaneously draw dog
with ono hand and q stays head with
the other. Ninety five per cent OF man
kind, however, are right.hsnded, the
movements of that hand being dictated
by the left lobe Of tho brain, owing to
the crosses OF tho nerves In the back
bone. There 10 such an overwhelming
difference between the two lobes that
ono is compelled to say that the right
hand can not only do much that IL i'm
possible for tho left, but anything tho
left can do 1t has borrowed from tho
right or learned from It Indirectly.
"People who have been psralyzed on
the right side by stroke and have been
reduced to dependence on the right lobe
of the brain are simply incapable OF
doing anything With the left hand. They
are q wreck" writes DR.. Hsenkel In the
Hamburger Nschrichten. "As the
epoch making observations Of Professor
Lipmann prove conclusively, In such
cases the left hand, though unaffected
directly by the stroke, 10 incapable OF
nearly every kind of conscious move.
ment, its dependence on the right hand
is proved conclusively.
"But experiments have shown me the
possibility of giving these hopeless Grip
Piles new lease of life by exercising the
left hand. Yes, strange as It may ap-
pear, such exercises will even bring
back the lost power Of speech. And
am convinced that In normal persons the
left hand can be trained till 1t arrives at
the same efficiency - the right, and that
the right lobe of the brain can In this
way be developed till 1t Is every bit as
active as the left. Such exercise 10 OF
incalculable value In mental as we'll as
physical education.
"The ambidextrous General Baden.
Powell has said: The value OF ambi-
dexterity from the militant point OF
view is most important. l regard no
soldier as thoroughly trained who can
not mount bis horse from either side,
use bis weapons with either hand and
shoot az quickly and surely from the
left shoulder as the right This ambi-
dexterity may be acquired without any
very long practice.
"And the left lung and the left eye
profit by this Simultaneous develop
ment Of both sides of the body, while 1t
does away with that injurious lop.sided
position of the body which is assumed
in writing and drawing. verify believe
that 80 per cent of bodily power which
now lies idle can be brought into opera
ton by the practice of ambidexterity.
1.-THE military history Of the Beers and
Japanese confirms this conclusion.
Both races train themselves to use both
hands alike. With the Japanese this &C
complement is fostered by their man.
nsr of perpendicular writing, each word
being placed underneath and not, as
with us, alongside the preceding one.
As soon as they 90 to school they learn
ambidexterity. Whether this accounts
for the quickness of their wits remains
to be proved, though l personally am
convinced OF it; their astonishing manual
dexterity aud military genius, believe,
is traceabls to this alone.
"And how often does the left hand
show itself to be fully the equal of the
right? Lock at piano playing. Ia there
any difference between the capabilities
of the two hands? And in violin playing
the delicate fingerwork Of the left hand
is just az important as the bowling OF the
right. In hand weaving, tipping, cricket,
the left is just as efficient. The surgeon,
the dentist, is compelled to train his left
English teachers say their ambi'
dextrous pupils are superior in cheerful.
ness, alertness and decision. The whole
OF the teaching goes on quicker and bet
ter with such children. Particularly
interest is the fact that after a short
time of training the left hand acquires
dizziness and delicscy of touch which ID
} unknown az . rule to the right. And
this may be noticed among elderly peo'
pie, too. So too with artists: Leonardo
de Vinci, Landseer and Mcneil were am.
Ibidextrous."