i6 



certainly than peculiarities of habit habit being understood 

 to imply "an acquired disposition." Curiously enough, 

 experience seems to warrant the belief that the less important 

 and remarkable the habit, the more likely is it to become 

 hereditary and persistent ; and of the many phenomena of 

 heredity few are more curious and interesting than those 

 which illustrate the transmissibility of individual peculiarities 

 and eccentricities, however otherwise comparatively trivial in 

 themselves, as frequently evidenced in many families. There 

 are very numerous records of such cases, and, indeed, it is 

 more than probable that close observation would enable us 

 to detect evidence of such phenomena, varying of course in 

 degree, much more frequently than is generally supposed. 



The majority of people are undoubtedly right-handed, 

 but some are naturally left-handed ; and it is interesting, 

 and sometimes amusing, to observe the many and various 

 theories propounded to account for this curious physiological 

 fact. One author goes so far as to suggest that left-handed- 

 ness is a peculiarity akin to monstrosity, whilst another 

 believes that those who are left-handed must be generally 

 eccentric in every respect ! I have no intention, however, 

 of entering into any discussion regarding these speculations, 

 and shall now only contend, as I am prepared to prove, that 

 in a very large proportion of cases of left-handedness, there 

 is a potential and indisputable element of heredity. 



From the foregoing facts, to which many additions might 

 be made, it will be seen that the grand law of heredity is 

 intimately and inseparably associated with every anatomical 

 conformation, and with every physiological function and 

 process in the human, as, indeed, in the entire animal 

 economy not only general characteristics, but "the varieties, 

 .and the minutest peculiarities of the individual, in structure, 



