Jeffersonian Republican. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1840-1853, 1850-08-01
wonderfuICase.

TO perfect 'health-which every one feels 10 be
so incredible per Sc a, to require the most ab.
soue and overwhelming proof in every partic-
ular before yielding belief.
"The times have been
That, when the brains were out the man would die !"
BY and by, We shall begin TO believe it pos
slble for man to live. and be wise and witty
TOO. without any brains at all notion that
seems to be somewha. Of a growing one in Con.
gress and in some parts Of The South, where II
is quite evident that the emptiest heads are get
ting uppermost and carrying off all the honors
of disunion and disloyalty.
The case we alIude to which occurred in
New England nearly two years ago. and was
then one OF the nine day wonders Of the press
was tha, Of man who, by a premature expo-
sion while blasting rocks, had large bar Of
iron driven through his head--clear through,
traversing face and braM--wilhout Being killed
on the spot, or indeed seeming 10 be very un.
usually harmed thereby. The Journal has
full, complete, and authentic history of the case
from the lime when il occurred on the 18th of
September, l846, up 10 January OF the presen,
year, when the paIien, visited Boston, and was
examined by various medical bodies and dis
tlnguIshed practitioners, including Dr.. Henry
Bldgelow, Professor of Surgery in Harvard
University, by whom the description is contri.
buled to The Journal The paper includes the
official statements of DR.. Edward H. Villains,
of Norhfeld. Vermont, who frs, saw the pa
nent, and DR.. J. NJ. Harlow, Of Casendish,
who attended him Throughout, the whole case
as well as certificates from Joseph Adams,
Justice of the Peace, and the Rev. Joseph
freeman, who were witnesses personally con-
versant with The facts. II is altogether so ANA
zing case, so perfectly authenticated in all
particulars, and of an n,eres. so far above all
mere technical or professional al interest, that we
Think We canno. do beaa than cOndense its
leading features for The qualification of our rea-
ders.
The sufferer in the case, Phineas P. Gage,
young man of twenty five, "shrewd and in
teliigent," contractor or head workman on
the Rutland and Burlington Railroad, had char
ged with gunpowder hole drilled in the rock
and directed his assistant to fill in the sand ;
supposing which done, he dropped his ,amping
iron into the hole to drive the sand home 1t
happened, however through some inadver,ence.
hat the sand had no, been poured in ; and the
iron striking fire upon the rock the powder
was infamed and the acclden, produced by the
iron being blown out like a ramrod shot from
gun. The tamping iron was q round rod
lhree feet seven inches in length, and an inch
and quarter in diameter, tapering TO point al
he top, and weighing thirteen and quarter
pounds. The whole of this immense weight
and lenlh-,his bar or bludgeon of iron--was
driven through Cages face and brain, as he
stopped over the hole, in the act of tamping The
sand. It struck him on the left cheek just be-
hind and below the mouth, ascended into The
brain behind the left eye, passed from the skull.
which il shattered and raised, "lIke an inverted
funnel" for distance of about Two inches in
every direction around the wound, flew through
the air, and was picked up by the workmen,
covered with blood and brains," several rods
behind where he stood Gage, who was also
more or less scorched, was prostraled, apparently
less by the blow of the iron than Ahe force Of the
explosion. He fell on bis back, gave few con-
vulsiye witches of the ex,remties bui "spoke
in few minuies" His men placed him in an
OK carl, in which he rode lhiee quarters Of a
mile to his lodging, sitting erect got out of
the cart himself, and with but little assistance
walked 10 he piazza and afterwards up stairs,
talking nationally TO The physicians and giving
them clearer account Of the accident than his
fiiends could ; occasionally vomiting up blood,
the effort Of which caused hemorrhage from
the wound, with The actual loss of q considera-
bic portion the substance Of the brain. The
left eye was dull and CLASSY, but was sensible
10 the impression of light. Gage bore his suf-
ferings with heroic forlilude, telling DR.. Viii.
-liams, ..here is business enough for you," and
expressing 10 DR.. Harlow the hope that +" he
W as mol much hurt.
OF course, il forms no part of our intention
to give a detailed account of The treatment and
management of the case, which was not varied.
by any circumstances OF interest to persons
not of The medical profession. We merely
note. generally, that. for the first ten days eve-
ry thing wen, on well, Gage being, With some
intervals of natural delirium from fever. pretty
rational and hopeful; thai, al The close Of this
period, be losl the sigh of the left eye, and lay
for fortnight in semicomaIose> Stale, or par
ilaI siupor thai he then began 10 improve IN
body and mind was, within TWO months, walk
ing abou, in The street, in defiance of insfuc-
tons suffered relapse in consequence; and
finally, being recovered from this, was. in the
tenth week, free from pain and rapidly conya-
lescing.
. The leading feature Of this case" says
Prof Bigelow, lis its improbabiliiy A ply
sician who holds in his hands crowbar. three
feel aRaa half long. and more Than thirteen lbs.
in W II, will not readily believe il has been
driven wih crash through the brain OF a man
Who ia sriIl able 10 walk off. talking with COM |