The Mental Sorrows of Left-Handedness (1924)

JF Ptak Science Books  Quick Post

Nature (September 13, 1924) posted a long one-paragraph description of the work of Dr. William.S. Inman (1876-1968), who published an article in the Lancet on the causes of left-handedness, stammer, and squint, which he found were related in one form or another, and globally.  Just in case you were wondering, Dr. Inman located the causes of the problems of left-handnedness, and his were devoted "to mental causes":

• Left-handedness, stammering, and squinting are all caused by emotional stress;
• "too severe parenting" can be the cause of stammering, and left-handedness, and squinting;
• each of these "defects runs in families";
• a family predisposed to one is so with the other two;
• one can become lefthanded as "an unconscious revolt against authority".

So, there. 

This at least seems like a gentle and inquisitive approach to left-handedness, which, it seems, was a "defect" that historically was dealt with by corporal punishment.  For example, in the first book I can find in the global library catalog WorldCat that mentions "left-handedness"--a work by Thomas Lutpon with the long and languid title of A Thousand Notable Things containing modern curiosities. Viz. Divers Rare and Experienc'd Physical Receipts... To Educate Children to learn languages speedily...Also a new help to discourse, and directions to read, write, indite and speak languages readily and speedily..., a note is found with the description of the book saying "21st edition of this book of secrets, first published in 1586, it contains "A New Method to Educate Children" pp. 153-163 with a woodcut of alphabet cubes. The 20th edition appeared in 1706./ Some of the recipes are innocuous, others simply terrifying -- in spite of this, the author's instructions for educating children are surprisingly humane -- no corporal punishment and notably, no beating to correct left-handedness".  Now the purpose of that very long and not-so-pretty sentence was to get aross the idea that for long periods of time left-handedness was treated as something that could be beat out of someone, physically.  That at least is one very disturbing way of teaching someone how to write with their right hand.