Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1868-06-10
REMARKABLE TENACITY OF
LIFE. -a.

Men Alive with Holes I'm their brains
At recent meeting of the Maasachn
sets Medical Society, DR.. John NJ. Harlow
physician and surgeon, of Woburn, Mass
but formerly Of Cayendish, VT, read a
paper containing the history Of a most in
teresting case Of injury 10 the head, and
presented TO the meeting the Eeritable skull
which sustained the injury. This case Oc-
Cured some twenty years ago, in Cavendish,
Vermont On the 18th Of September, 1848,
Phineas Z. Gage, foreman Of gang Of men
engaged in blasting a deep cut in the Rut-
land and Burlington road, had tamping
iron blown through his brains, and re-
covered within sixty days, living twelve
years after.
The tampiug iron was three and a half
feet ia length, one and quarter inches
thick, and pointed at one end, the taper
being seven inches long and the diameter
Of the point quarter Of an inch IL
weighed thirteen pounds. The point was
upward, and the iron smooth.
The missile entered the cheek outside
the teeth, and under the cheek bone, went
inside an inch behind the eve, and out of
the top of the head in the center, two
inches back Of the line where the forehead
and hair meet.
Gage was aperfectly healthy, strong and
active young man, twenty five years OF age,
of nervobilious temperament, five and a
half feet in height, average weight one
hundred and fifty pounds, possessing an
iron will as well as az iron frame, muscular
system remarkably well developed, having
had scarcely days illness from childhood
up. .
One piece of the skull had been broken
ont in fragments; another piece was raised
aud thrown back, like a door. the scslp
serving a. a hinge and on the opposite
side of the wound there was Another frac-
ture and an elevation. The globe of the
left eye was partially protruded from It's
orbit, the left side Of the face was more
prominent than the right The opening
m the skull was two inches wide by three
and half long and the brain was hang
lng IN shreds on the hair. The pulsati0n
OF the brain could be distinctly seen, and
the doctor passed his finger IN the whole
length without the patient saying he felt
pain. a
In fify-nine days the patient was abroad.
On the third day there was Inflammation
and some delirium; and during several
weeks there was occasional delirium for
two weeks Of the time the patient lay in
stupid condition, and his death was expected
and his grave-clothes prepared On the
10Th of November he went 10 a close car
riage thirty miles TO his home in Lebanon.
The subsequent history Of the case is in
teresting. Gage came back to Cavendish
in April, in fair health and strength, hav-
ing his tamping-iron with him, and he
carried IL with him till the dav of his
death, twelve years after The effect of
the injury appears 90 have been the de-
straciion Of the equilibrium between the
intellectual faculties and the animal pro-
penslties lie was now capricious. fitfll.
ureverent, impatient of restraint. yacillat-
lng-a youth in intellectual capacity and /
a man in physical system
and passions. His physical recovery was
complete, but those who once knew him as a |
shrewd, smart, energetic, persistent business |
man, recognized the change in his mental /
character. The balance Of his mind was /
gone.
He went TO various places, being engaged
here and there was wear and a half in
charge OF horses at q livery stable; was ex-
hibited at Barnum's Museum in New York /
and IN August, 1897, four years after bis
injury, left New England forever, and went
10 Valparaiso with man who was going
TO establish line OF coaches. Here he /
lived eight years, occasionally driving a
slK-horse coach, and enduring many hard
ships. In 1889 his health began to fail. |
In 1860 he had a long illness, the nature Of
which cannot now be ascertained.
He now left Chill, and DIR. Harlow lost
all traces of him for some years. but finally
ound out that the mother and sister were
n San Francisco, wrote 10 them, and ascer-
aimed that Gage had got there in 1860:
worked with a farmer az Santa Clara. and
n February, 1861, was taken with epileptic
its; afterward he worked in several places
'nd finally in May, 1861, had a succession
II fits which lasted couple Of DAYS and
,arried him of.
AZ the same meeting DIR. BigeloW, ex-
United Young man, who year ago in
)hlo, had gas pipe driven horizontally
through his head, by discharge in mine.
The gas pipe struck him on the right eve
row, trayersed the base of the brain, and
anne ont at the back Of the head an inch
'ehind the junction of the left ear. DR.
.ewett, the attendant physician, explained
he case.
The pipe was four feet long and Eve
lights OF an inch thick. and remained In
is head, pinning his hat on both sides
lie drew IL out himself with some force
nd then went 20 the mouth Of the mine.
nd was there first seen by any one after
he accident lie wss hardly conscious.
ut complained Of illness, and was given
Risky, which he swallowed. lie was about
D a couple of months, and his memory has |
owly returned. His mind is not yet per-
ct. In his illness, his state Of coma
semed largely dependent on the freedom
18th which the holes were kept open. and
lere was free escape from the brain Of
latter. Probes were at frst passed clear
lrough the head as he was not expected
live, aud the beneficial effect in removing
us and detached brain was 40 great thai il
as repeated several times. After his re-
'very the patient for a long lime would
Of speak 10 any one. The Young man.
renchman, here passed around among the
EtfpnPp and hal his hal 1