This Man Survived A Mind-Boggling Brain Injury, And The Case Still Baffles Experts 172 Years On
On a fall afternoon in 1848, a gang’s working on a railroad in rural Vermont. Its leader, a young man, is using a piece of metal to hammer powder into a small pit. Suddenly, though, there’s a huge explosion. The metal – a near 4-foot length of iron – flies through the air and through the man’s head.
Freak Accident
The iron bar has passed through Phineas Gage’s head. It’s smashed through his cheek, gone clean through his brain and passed out to fly through the air for some tens of feet. It seems clear that Gage should have been killed by the accident. Yet not only is he alive, but he’s also able to talk to the doctor who rushes to attend him.
Beloved Man
Before the accident, Gage had been a much-loved character. According to The Psychologist magazine, his doctor, John Martyn Harlow, would later describe him as having been “strong and active,” not just in his body but in his mind as well. By all accounts, he would’ve been a nice guy to be around: good-natured, easy to get along with, having what the doctor described as a “well-balanced mind.”
Radical Transformation
But the passage of the tamping iron through his brain changed all that. Those who’d known him before the accident were stunned by the man whom they encountered afterwards. The alteration was so “radical” that, according to Harlow, people described him as “no longer Gage.” And this transformation would bring Gage notoriety.
Infamous Case Study
Yes, Gage’s misfortune has since led to him becoming very well known among neuroscientists. This is largely due to the story of Gage’s transformation being the earliest indication that a switch in personality might follow damage to the brain. Altogether, University of Melbourne don Malcolm Macmillan has estimated that Gage features in two out of three psychology 101 guides.
