Study of a case of two-handed synchronous writing / by George M. Gould.

  • Gould, George Milbrey, 1848-1922.
Date:
1907
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Study of a case of two-handed synchronous writing / by George M. Gould. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    the subject again explains that “it will not go with the visual attention fixed on the right-hand movements.” The stint was found impossible. And of the greatest signifi- cance is the further statement that “this form of reversal was always the least satisfactory, and is not now so good as it used to be.” Later, upon request, Miss K. writes: “Some time before I was twenty I discovered that I could do this reverse writing, and since then I have occasionally amused my friends by doing it, but very seldom. Until I did this for you it is surely five years since I last tried it. I did not notice the inability to do this particular specimen less well until I tried it this time for you. I have no specimens written in the past.” The coordination of the two cerebral hemispheres is therefore losing an acquired function or aspect, and re- verting to a desirable and natural singleness or raono- laterality. Confusion, awkwardness, inhibition, indecision, or imperfection of function must follow decision or action initiated or controlled by centers cooperating from different sides of the cerebrum. The limit of illegibility and loss of the sense of spacial relations is shown in Nos. 5&L and 5&R, written under the conditions imposed in 5a, except that the sinistromanual movements were deprived of the help of visual attention. Of course it was again wholly impossible to write any- thing whatever when the mental attention was fixed upon the dextromanual writing movements.