The Cadiz sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 184?-1851, 1850-07-10
Fron. Ihe Norh Alnerican nnd Ga1elle.


NUMBER, issued yestefuay, but WI cn reacheu
our table on Saturday fnd full account
Of one Of those marvellous surgical cases-
cases Of tremendous injury 10 the most vital
orgau, followed by unexpected recovery and
restoration to perfect healih-which every
one ieels 10 be 50 incredible per se as 10 re-
quife the most absolute aud overwhelming
proof in every particular before yielding le'
lief
1.-THE times kare been
That, when the brains were out, the man would
die.S
By and by, we shall begin TO believe II pos
sible for man to live, aud be wise and Witty
too, without any brains at all;--s notion
that seems to be some what of n growing one
in Congress and in some parts Of the South,
where j: is quite evident thut the empiiest
heads are getung uppermost md carrying of
al! the honors of disunion and disoyaiiy.
The case we allude to, which occurred in
New England nearly two years ago, and was
then one of tbe niue days wonders Of the
press, was that of man who, by premature
explosion while blasting rocks, had large
bar Of iron driven through his head--cleaT
through. traverslng face and braiu-- without
being killed on the spot, or. indeed, seeming
to be very unusually harmed thereby. The
American Journal of ihe Medical Sciences
has, for its initial article, full, complete,
ana authentic history Of the cnse f'om the
time when il occu: ed on lhe 18th Of Sept. =,
lS49, up 10 January of the present year,
when the patient visited Boston, and was
IexaRiued by various medical bndes and
distinguished practitioners. including Dr..
Henry J. BigeIow, Professor Of Surgery in
Harvard University, by whom The description
is contributed TO the Journal. The paper
includes the official statement of Dr. Edward
II. Williams, of Norlh6eId. Vermont, who
first saw the patient, and DR.. J. NJ Harlow,
of Cavendsh, who attended him throughout
the whole case; as we'll as certificates from
joseph Adams, Justice Of The Peace ,and the
Rev. Joseph Freemln, who werei witnesses
personally conversant with The Shcts. Ii is
altogether SO amozing case, so perfectly
authenticated in all particulars, and Of an
interest so Ear above oil mere technical or
professional interest, that we think we can
do no better than COndense lis leading fcat>
ures for the qualification Of our readers.
| The sufferer in the case, Phineas P. Gage,
young man Of twenty-five, 'sh1ewd aud
intelligent" contractor or head workman
on the Rutland and Burlington Railroad, had
charged with, gunposder hole drilled in
the rock, and directed his assistant to fill in
the sand; surprising which done, he dropped
his tamping iron into the hnle to drive the
sand home. II happened, however, through
some inadVertence, that tue sand had not
been poured IN; and The iron striking FIRE
upon the rock, the powder was inAamed and
the accident produced by the iron being
blown out like ramrod shot from gun.--
The lnmping iron was round rod three feet
seven inches in length, aud an inch and
quarter 10 diameter, tapering TO point at
The top, and weighing thirteen and quarter
pounds. The whole Of this immense weight
and length this bar or bludgeon OF from
was driven through Cages face and brain, as
he stopped over the hole, in the act Of tam
ping the sand. II struck him on The left
cheek just behind and below the mouth, as.
cended into the brain behind the left eye,
passed from the skull, which it shattered and
raised up, "iEe an inverted funnel" for
distance Of about two inches in every dice.
ton around the wou1d, aew through The air,
and was picked mp by The workmen, "cover
ed with blood and hrains," several rods be-
hind where he stood. Gage, who was also
more or less scorched, was Frustrated, appar
emily less by the bow Of The iron Than the
force Of The explosion. lie fell on his back,
gave few convuIsivc witches Of the ex-
tremilies, but "spoke in few minutes"--
His men placed him in all OK cart, in which
he rode three quarters Of mile 30 his lodg'
lngs, sitting erect; got out of the cart him.
self, aud with but little assIs ance; walked
TO the piazza and afterwards up stairs. talk
ing nationally to The ply ysicians aud giving
them clearer account of the accident than |
his friends could; occasionally vomiting up
blood, the eiIon Of which caused hRnouhage |
from the wound, with the actual loss of q |
considerable portion Of the substance Of the
brain. The lett eye was dull and CLASSY, but
vas sensible TO the Impression OF light, -
Gage bore his sulferings with heroic iou;tude,
telling DR.. Williams, "lerc is business enough
for you," and expressing to DR.. Harlow the
hope that ''h3 was not much hurt"
OF course, il forms no part Of our intention
to give detailed account Of The treatment
aud management Of the case, which was not
varied by any circumstances of interest 10
persons not Of the medical profession. We
metely note, generally, that, for The first ten
days, every thing vent on well. Gage being,
with some intervals of natural delirium from
fever, pretty rational and hopeful, that, al
tho close Of this perind, he lost the sight ofI
the left eye, aud lay foY nearly fortnight in
a semlcomalose state, OF partial stupor; that
nc then began to improve in body and mind
was, within two months. walking about in the |
street, in defiance Of Instructions; suffered
relapse in consequences; and, finally, being
recovered from this, was, in the tenth week,
free from pain and rapidly convalesciug
"'The leading feature Of this case" says
Prof. Bigelow, SIS lis improbabil;iy. A ply |
sic,an who holds in his hands crowbar,
hree feet and half long, and more Than
thirteen pounds in weight, will not readily
believe that il has been driven with crash
through the brain of a man who is still able
10 walk of, Inlking with composurc and e.
luanimrty Of the hole in his head" Prof. |
b., who justly describes the case as one
'perhaps unparalleled in the annals Of surge
~" snys that he was TAT FIRST wholly scepii
cal, !" but that he was personally convinced,--
Mr.. Gage, ms we said, visited Boston in
January, aud was for some time under the
Professors observation, who had his head
shaved md cast taken; which, with the |
nmping iron, is new deposited in the Mu
'sum of the Massachusetts Medical College.
Al that time. lha wunnda ware perfectiv /