The Washington times., 1916-08-19
Man Uses Right
Hand With Greater
Ease Than His Left
BY DIR. LEONARD KEENE HIRsHBERc

- YMMETRY Is by no means an in
violable natural law. 1t is. per-
~ haps, more often present In ele-
mentary, simple forms of life
than In the more complex ones. The
unfertilized egR. the simple amoeba. or
bacterium. the yeast bud. are symmstri-
cal In their simplicity.
Sometimes nature, when unduly lib
eral. as In the fusion Of two simple
creatures, the division of an old one.
the birth OF twins. triplets. or litters.
exhibits likeness and symmetry. Per-
haps the ancient legend that mammals
and men are really two individuals
iused i,H into one, accounts for the two
%ns OF two ne sspns ssnsy cord and brain two
legs. and other human applications.
Z real i, than % Il seems. :asiiy The risst sst
So The hermit 81 ms crab h., the active part,
which project. from the shell longer
than those Of the other side. The tusks
OF the narwhal are not OF similar shape
other. wa" '''e
The eyes Of the sol. are diverted to.
wwsu wwaS the .ne rignt. while parrots porch and
left. Gu" '"a' 'he
Dogs, are easily trained to give a
paw IN preference to the other. and
Many animals dig more with one foot.
claw or tusk than another, Eiephants 4
use use the right tusk; and man the right
VEG es more os; osan r. the LEFT Indeed. persons
reason sometimes keep walking TO the
leIt and thus make circle Of their
Although some children take TO the u.s
Of their right hand In preferences 10
their LEFT. as a duck does 10 water
others require the alert admonition OF
parents. teachers and nurses to remind
hand" and "Sse W your i other hsnS ySIT wSen slSn,
tne wrong one is discovered in action.
,prof Redfeld OF Chicago. is convinced
CHARACTERISTIC In man Just as right -tusk.
mess is In elephants.
Prehistoric Man Right Handed.
The EVIDENCE In the hierogiyphics,
cuneiform inscriptions. as we'll as
other ancient drawings and writings,
| together with the tools used by
Chaideans. Egyptians. Assyrlans.
| greeks; and other ancients. all give
PROOF beyond doubt that the men OF
$4,000 and more years ago were
| right-handed.
Crude Implements. tools. weapons
utensils, dugouts. caverns, all show
mat The human was right-handed.
Ghsiked en- drawings on stones look to
sketches OF mammoths, said by
ershse1iosists esn, cr to 6s be oSn Srawn BY an,
I werc made by their right hands.
nine persons In ten. handed down to
us from tho ancicnts. looking over
! tho left shoulder II bad luck. Lucky
omcns were seen to the right OF Ro-
man armies. The falcon Is held on
tho wrist OF the LETT hand.
sistcnce that the right hand be better
disciplined and trained than the left ?
Would man be rurcrior II both hands
were equally deftc Amoidcxterous
scuiptors. musicians and telegraphers
! ere known with hand for hand.
! Hike. the quality OF tho eyes. ears. and
! tec,h
Aristotle. over 1000 years ago. dis.
cussed this. Tho upshot of his deduc.
tions Is that lifc is too short to train
both sides to n"cr-p"rfcctlon. Stree Il,
some time in tho remote and primovn
/ past one side was selected tho human
| raco has better birthriGht- no pun "a
hero !ntended-to build upon the right
I side than the left: tn bestow the discip'
| llnc ard practice upon II rather than Il
! divide the forces. opportunities and time
/ between the two hands.
Law of Hcrcdity Involved.
Let this all be as II may. Icft-handcd.
ress is not by any, means uncommon
II Is encountered much oftener thar
transposi,ion OF the heart, liver, and
spleen upon the opposite sides OF the
anatomy, Left-handcd individuals ar,
not. as rule, less efficient or less sue
! cessful than tho others. Perhaps, the