Why the Majority of Men are Right -Handed 435 



London, in which, there was a penis, a vagina and uterus, 

 with a testicle in the right vulvum and an ovary on the 

 left side. Again showing the left the weaker side. 



These cases are too few in number to make any very 

 strong statement as to the difference of frequency of 

 deformity on the left side as against the right, but they 

 do tend to show a leaning to deformities more frequent 

 on the left side and to a greater extent on the left side 

 than the right. 



Paralysis or hemiplegia is more frequent on the right 

 side than on the left, and in this case the injury to the 

 brain is on the left side, while the effect is on the right 

 side, due to the decussation of the fibres. 



All these observations tend to the idea that the right 

 side is a little stronger than the left, and hence the use 

 of the right hand more than the left. 



The carpenter and stonemason and blacksmith, like 

 the majority, are mostly right-handed men and they hold 

 their chisels when they want to direct the cut, in the 

 left hand, and strike with the heavy mallet with the 

 right hand. 



In his second article on this subject, Sir Daniel 

 Wilson says, page 3, section 2, papers for 1886: "The 

 phenomenon to be explained is not merely why each 

 individual uses one hand rather than another. Ex- 

 perience abundantly accounts for this. But if, as 

 seems to be the ease, all nations, civilized and savage, 

 appear from remotest times to have used the same 

 hand, it is in vain to look for the origin of this as an 

 acquired habit. Only referring it to some anatomical 

 cause can its general prevalence among all races and 

 in every age be satisfactorily accounted for. Never- 

 theless, this simple phenomenon cognisant to the ^ex- 

 perience of all and brought under constant notice in 

 our daily intercourse with others, seems to baffle the 

 physiologist in his search for any entirely satisfactory 

 explanation. ' ' 

 He goes further into the habits of man in different 



