I read about Phineas Gage when I was still in grammar school, in one of several Ripley’s Believe-it-or-Not books. It was a tragic case. Before the accident, he was a totally nice guy. He lost one eye, and from eye-witness reports, he also lost several ounces of brain matter staggering around after the explosion before they got him to the hospital.
After he recovered, he underwent a major personality change. At times he would go on profanity binges, which he had never been known to use before. Otherwise, he never seemed to have any other problems functioning – reading, speaking, or comprehension-wise.
It is quite the story. The blast shot him 80 feet from where the tamping iron exploded. He was taken to a local doctor, where he was attended to. He was eventually able to function after some time at his family’s farm… which is amazing in itself…and he was even able to continue to work as a stagecoach driver in Chile… but yes, sadly his personality changed.
Just noticed – in the sketchbook, the rod is pointy at the bottom. In the painting, it’s pointy at the top. It actually wasn’t pointy at all – it was a tamping rod, just a simple rod of equal diameter, used to compress explosives into a tube prior to setting off the charge for excavation purposes. It accidentally discharged while he was preparing the explosives.
I thought so, too. But if you look at the actual photographs of Gage holding the tamping rod, it was pointy on the one end (the rod and skull are on exhibit at Harvard Medical School). And yes, the sketchbook page is wrong… it was Randie’s first go … she corrected herself in the final painting.
The rod Gage was using was flattened on one end and pointed at the other, and he had been using the flattened end. The piece he had isn’t the full rod even, just the length that was in him shaved down a bit at the end for smoothness and engraved.
While Gage’s accident was certainly a personal tragedy, it was a remarkable moment for medical science. It proved that different areas of the brain control different things, as well as proving brain elasticity (the ability of the brain to re-wire damaged portions of itself from other portions). The ramifications of the accident and his survival and recovery have helped behavioral sciences as well as brain surgery in ways untold. It’s actually a bit of luck for him the rod was pointed on the end, as that ‘cleanly’ divided tissues compared to what a blunt or wide end would have done.
I read about Phineas Gage when I was still in grammar school, in one of several Ripley’s Believe-it-or-Not books. It was a tragic case. Before the accident, he was a totally nice guy. He lost one eye, and from eye-witness reports, he also lost several ounces of brain matter staggering around after the explosion before they got him to the hospital.
After he recovered, he underwent a major personality change. At times he would go on profanity binges, which he had never been known to use before. Otherwise, he never seemed to have any other problems functioning – reading, speaking, or comprehension-wise.
It is quite the story. The blast shot him 80 feet from where the tamping iron exploded. He was taken to a local doctor, where he was attended to. He was eventually able to function after some time at his family’s farm… which is amazing in itself…and he was even able to continue to work as a stagecoach driver in Chile… but yes, sadly his personality changed.
Hopefully, similar in Phineas, Randie will be able to change her tune. And the tune will be, “We’re In the Money.”
Randie’s changes will become more evident as she heals up. Let’s hope that more tenacity in the business area is something that she endeavors in.
I heard he mostly got annoyed at the people who wanted to examine his rod.
For a time, he was a feature at a circus “See the man who survived a rod blown through his head!” He did keep the rod and it was engraved.
Just noticed – in the sketchbook, the rod is pointy at the bottom. In the painting, it’s pointy at the top. It actually wasn’t pointy at all – it was a tamping rod, just a simple rod of equal diameter, used to compress explosives into a tube prior to setting off the charge for excavation purposes. It accidentally discharged while he was preparing the explosives.
I thought so, too. But if you look at the actual photographs of Gage holding the tamping rod, it was pointy on the one end (the rod and skull are on exhibit at Harvard Medical School). And yes, the sketchbook page is wrong… it was Randie’s first go … she corrected herself in the final painting.
The rod Gage was using was flattened on one end and pointed at the other, and he had been using the flattened end. The piece he had isn’t the full rod even, just the length that was in him shaved down a bit at the end for smoothness and engraved.
I like Randie correcting herself (bail->rail); good recovery signs. Thanks for that positivity, it was worrying for a while.
I had a headache, took some advil, head was better. How’s that for a head injury story? No?
While Gage’s accident was certainly a personal tragedy, it was a remarkable moment for medical science. It proved that different areas of the brain control different things, as well as proving brain elasticity (the ability of the brain to re-wire damaged portions of itself from other portions). The ramifications of the accident and his survival and recovery have helped behavioral sciences as well as brain surgery in ways untold. It’s actually a bit of luck for him the rod was pointed on the end, as that ‘cleanly’ divided tissues compared to what a blunt or wide end would have done.
Sap green’s a nice hue!