The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1850-08-08
WONDERFUL PRESER yATION OF
LIFE

]
A story went the rounds Of the paper.
some months since Of man at work on The
Burlington and Rutland Railroad, who hac
an iron bar briren through his head by ,
premature explosion. The account, though
we'll authenticated, was generally discredi.
ted. The last number of the American
Journal Of The Medical Science has full
and authentic history of tho case from the
time when it occurred, on the 18th Septem-
Der, lS4S, to January OF the present year,
when the patient visited Boston, and was
examined by various medical bodies and
distinguished practitioners. We copy the
leading features for the qualification Of our
readers:
The sufferer in the case, Phineas Z. Gage,
young man Of twenty five, shrcwd and
intelligent, contractor or head workman
on the Rutland and Burlington Railroad,
had charged with gnnpowder hole in the
rock, aud directed his assistant 10 fill in the
sand; supposing which done, he dropped
his tamping iron into the hole to drive the
sand home. lthappened, however, through
some inadvertence, that the sand had not
been poured in; and the iron striking fire
upon the rock, the powder was inflamed,
and the accident produced by the iron be-
ing blown out like a ramrod shot from gun.
Tho tamping-iron was round rod, three
feet seven inches in length, and an inch
and a quarter in diameter, tapering TO u
point at the top, and weighing thirteen and
| a quarter pounds.
The whole OF this immense weight aud
leng,h---this bar nr budgeon OF iron--was
driven through Cages face and brain, as
he stopped over the hole in the net oftnmp-
ing the sand. Ii struck him on the left
cheek just behind and below the mouth,
| ascended into the brain behind the left eye.
passing from the skull, which it shattered
and raised up, "lke an inverted fInnel,' =
for distance Of about two inches in every
direction around tho wound, flew through
the mir, and wns picked up by the wnrhmcn,
"coyercd with blood and brains," several
rods behind where he stood. Gage, who
was also more or less scorched. was pros
'rated, apparently less BY the blow Of the
iron than tho force Of the explosion. lie
fell on his back, gav, Il lew convulsive
witches OF the ex,remeiies, hut spoke in a
Few minutes His men placed him in an
OK cart in which he rode ,.,.as iEeee eefHegt fHeagat;teFa
out OF the cart himself, and with but little
assistance; walked to the piazz, and after
wards up stairs, talking nationally to the
physicians, and giving them clearer ac-
count of the accident than his friends conld ;
occasionally vomiting up blood, the effort
OF which caused hemo,rhage from the
wound, with the actual loss Of a considerable
portion of,he substance fthe brain. The
LEI, eye was duh and gIassy, but was SEN
sible to the impression nr light. Gage bore
his sufarngs with heroic foritude, telling
Or. williams, "herc is business enough for
you," and expressed to Dr.. Harlow the
hope that che was not much hurt"
's'Tho leading feature Of this case," says
Professor Bigelow, sis its improbabilty. A
physician who holds in his hands n crow
bar, three feet and half long, and more
than thirteen pounds in weight, will not
readily believe that bas been driven with
crash through the brain ot man who Is
still able to walk of, talking with composure
and cquanimiiy Of the hoie in his head."-
Professor b., who iIstly describes the case
as one "perhaps unparalleled in the annals
Of SURGERY" SAYS he was cat first wholly
skcptical," bat that he was personally con-
vinced. Mr. Gage, rs we said, visited
Boston in January, md was for some time
under the Professors observation, who had
his head shaved and cast taken, which,
with the tamping Iron. is now deposited IN
the Museum Of the Massachusetts Medical
College. At that time the wounds were
perfectly healed. the only vestigcs of the
accident being blindness and an unnatural
prominence of tho left eyo, with Para'ysi
Of the lids-a scar on the cheek, and ano,h
er on The skull, showing the Irregular ele.
vation ofa piece Of bone ''about the size OF
the palm Of the hand"-and, behind it, an
irregular and deep hollow several inches IN
length, beneath which the pnlsations OF the
brain were percep,ible. Taking all the
circumstances into consideration says
Professor Bigolow, SIT may be doubted
whether the present is not the most re-
marks able history of injury to the brain
which has ever been recorded" This is
unauestionably true; hut considering the
little real injury caused by the passage OF
a tamping-iron through Mr.. Cages head
the wonder is that pistol bullet--a buck
shot--or even little ncedle--can do SO
much execution on the heads of other peo-
ple."
Shocking Accideat.--On Sunday alter,
noon while the funeral Of Mr.. Fulton's son
was taking place, the horses attached TO
the hearse containing tho coffin, took fright
and dashed off at full speed--running down
Fulton street, the hearse was upset neal
the Clinton House. The driver was so Sc
verely injured that there are but faint hopes
Of his recovery. The coffin was throwr
on, but not broken open, and the hearse
was knocked all TO pieces. - Peoria Press