The sun., 1916-09-27
THE MANUAL TRAINING OF DISABLED
AND MUTLATED SOLDIERS.


ing factor and has led to tho aIroS
involuntary preference for the r,v,t
hand. It Ii certain that the right slss
Of the body is usually stronger ana
better developed than the left. n.
muscles and nerves are quicker ana
more responsive and more capabls ~
precise movements. 1t also arpea,s
that the case Of left handed soldier,
who have lost the right hand Il
marked by the following special f.,.
lures: Left handed men who are bc,r,
trained to use this hand when th.c
we're accustomed to help Il with ira
right are more easily tired than r,yh,
handed men; II Is found that lo,
handed men are less accurate I'm ,hsi,
work; they are able to work less IN.
muscular action in their case sccele,.
ates the heart and breathing so much
that they leave of sooner In fact. q,
Is said that IL Is much easier to ,r,i,
a right handed man to use the le.,
hand than II Is TO train a left hande-
to Use the right. Immemorial hah,
has left an asymmetry in tho race n
the marked prejudice Of the left sic.
Of the body.
Practically, the questions 20 y.
solved were three: When Il solder ia,
lost his right hand. the most common
case. should he he reeducatcd In his
old trade or profession Ivy means o.
the left? Or should he lie laugh, a
new one? Or should he be fitted wiz,
an artificial right hand and he traine,
to write or draw or work with TIN.
DR.. Joteyko tells us that I'm most II.
stances the training OF the loft hand
Is successful: II is found it docs wo-s
or performs writing and drawing ths
have all the characteristics az rl,l,
handed work; 1t is also found tha'
when "a shot has produced paralysis or
loss of speech a cure is often effected
by the training OF the left hand Thus
training calls into play centres II -.
brain which have not been exercised
For this reason In European school.
ambidexterity. or the habitual Use y
both hands. is being taught. Apar'
from ambidexterity, 1t seems 'learg
proved by these war experience ig4.
there il some connection. som
anatomical or bodily relation, between
riehthandedness and the d~evelopmos:
OF speech.
In regard TO writing viii tie ~"
hand a great difficulty presented i'se'
Many soldiers in learning - wire
with the left hand produced tie -.
culiar effect known as "mirro,' o.
looking glass writing. IN which every
letter OF the word IL reversed ], :
read easily enough II II Is placed r..
fore n mirror. This tendency l. do.
cult TO correct, but after many eNpe,.
ments the men We're taught 70 wri's
from left TO right 10y showing -,
pictures Of their motions In tho ,u-
matograph. Dr. klcsk reports o. %
soldiers who had lost tho rrh' hsnd
learned to write CORRECTLY WI Dc
left in four weeks, though w s...
instances mirror writing seemed
corrieible. In these cases II app, ,-
10 lee useless 10 attempt arN ,'N.
kind. Much of tn" success or ,
training depends upon the nafal, 90.
mans trade or profession. II is ,'
easier to reeducate a man in a .ttua
which simply requires rough me ..
ments. the muscular work ~ l.' I.
weights. for example. Rut in the to- .
ing of trades that are skilled. tia. r.
quire very fine and precise. moy"n.sr'>
Of the hands and fingers. failures were
not uncommon. Here n new trade :
perhaps the best thing, But to cre,.
truth which these writer's CONVEY =
the advantage o. the training - ho'
hands. A mar who can Use both lau /.
In his work Is much less helpless when
he is disabled; it ia said that ~
ambideXtrous are more alert mental
Of stronger fibre as william Jones'
puts Il. Perhaps they are: tuf e,
is something fanc!ful in these ate
ments. and experience on q el'i l'f
scale Is wanting. The prt,'l 90 '..
suits of training disabled mon axe 4-.
tinctly consoling. A consid"rali" ~
portion are restored TO a com.ur'iN {
existence and earn their living W.
comparative ease. The mammal trai'
ing of such men is worth fIr,her Ia
J vestigation.