Transcript The Strange Tale of Phineas Gage Overview of Incident

The Strange Tale of
Phineas Gage
Overview of Incident
Learning Target:

Describe how physical changes in the
brain affect behavior and personality
Phineas Gage’s Terrible
Accident


On September 12,
1848, Phineas Gage, a
railroad foreman was
blasting rock in
Cavendish, Vermont.
Gage was responsible,
well-liked, and
hardworking. He was
in charge because he
was dependable!

Railroad
The Blast

Gage was an expert in
blasting rock. He had a
specially designed
tamping rod that fit his
height. The rod
measured 3 feet 8
inches and 1 ¼ inches
in diameter. It weighed
about 13 pounds. This
rod was used to pack
down gun powder after
a layer of sand was
placed over top.

Tamping Rod
Gage’s Injury

On that fateful September
day, Gage is blasting a
rather large rock and gets
distracted. The sand is not
placed on top of the gun
powder and Gage uses his
tamping rod directly on the
gun powder. The RESULT:
The pointed end of the rod
shoots through the left
cheek bone and through
the top of the head!

Gage’s Skull and MRI
A Miracle


The rod exploded with such
force that it shot clear through
his head and landed about half
a football field away. Gage
from all accounts remained
conscious and was able to walk
with assistance.
Dr. John Harlow attempted to
remove bone fragments and
allowed the wound to remain
open and drain. At one point,
Gage’s brain became infected
with a “fungus” . Harlow
opened the scalp and drained
8 ounces of pus and Gage then
began a dramatic recovery.

Artist Drawing
So what happened?


Gage miraculously
recovered by January of
1849. He attempted to earn
a living travelling around
New England with his rod
and his story, BUT…life was
never the same for Gage.
How did this accident affect
his personality and
behavior? Watch the reenactment and see for
yourself.

Phineas Gage