Tamping explosivesTamping explosives

Fig. 8. The charge Fig. 8. The charge of powder is shown of powder is shown at C, the insulator at C, the insulator at B and the at B and the tamping at A.” tamping at A.” (from the (from the December 12, December 12, 1891, issue of 1891, issue of Scientific American Scientific American Supplement)Supplement)

The AccidentThe Accident

September 13, 1848 – September 13, 1848 – Cavendish, VermontCavendish, Vermont

“…“…the tamping iron struck the tamping iron struck a spark against the rock a spark against the rock and the powder and the powder exploded. The tamping exploded. The tamping iron rocketed out of the iron rocketed out of the hole and entered on the hole and entered on the side of his face ... side of his face ... passing back of the left passing back of the left eye, and out at the top eye, and out at the top of the head.”of the head.”

““I first noticed the wound upon the I first noticed the wound upon the head before I alighted from my head before I alighted from my carriage, the pulsations of the brain carriage, the pulsations of the brain being very distinct…Mr. Gage, during being very distinct…Mr. Gage, during the time I was examining this wound, the time I was examining this wound, was relating the manner in which he was relating the manner in which he was injured to the bystanders…Mr. was injured to the bystanders…Mr. Gage persisted in saying that the bar Gage persisted in saying that the bar went through his head…[he] got up went through his head…[he] got up and vomited; the effort of vomiting and vomited; the effort of vomiting pressed out about half a teacupful of pressed out about half a teacupful of the brain, which fell upon the floor.” the brain, which fell upon the floor.”

Harlow cleaned Gage’s wounds by Harlow cleaned Gage’s wounds by removing small fragments of bone, removing small fragments of bone, and replaced some of the larger skull and replaced some of the larger skull fragments that remained attached but fragments that remained attached but had been displaced by the tamping had been displaced by the tamping iron. He then closed the larger wound iron. He then closed the larger wound at the top of Gage’s head with at the top of Gage’s head with adhesive straps, and covered the adhesive straps, and covered the opening with a wet compress. opening with a wet compress.

Gage’s wounds were not treated Gage’s wounds were not treated surgically, but were instead left open surgically, but were instead left open to drain into the dressings.to drain into the dressings.

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The red area indicates the damaged sections of Gage’s frontal lobe.

The functions of the frontal lobes The functions of the frontal lobes include the ability to recognize future include the ability to recognize future consequences resulting from current consequences resulting from current actions, to choose between good and actions, to choose between good and bad actions (or better and best), bad actions (or better and best), override and suppress socially override and suppress socially unacceptable behavior, and unacceptable behavior, and determine similarities and differences determine similarities and differences between things or events.between things or events.

““The equilibrium or balance, so to The equilibrium or balance, so to speak, between his intellectual faculties speak, between his intellectual faculties and animal propensities, seems to have and animal propensities, seems to have been destroyed. He is fitful, irreverent, been destroyed. He is fitful, irreverent, indulging at times in the grossest indulging at times in the grossest profanity (which was not previously his profanity (which was not previously his custom)…In this regard his mind was custom)…In this regard his mind was radically changed, so decidedly that his radically changed, so decidedly that his friends and acquaintances said he was friends and acquaintances said he was “no longer Gage”.” “no longer Gage”.”

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Unable to return to his railroad job, Unable to return to his railroad job, from 1849 to 1852 Gage worked at a from 1849 to 1852 Gage worked at a livery stable in New Hampshire, livery stable in New Hampshire, making occasional public making occasional public appearances with his tamping rod in appearances with his tamping rod in the surrounding towns.the surrounding towns.

“This is the bar that was shot through the head of Mr Phinehas P. Gage at Cavendish, Vermont, Sept. 14 [sic], 1848. He fully recovered from the injury & deposited this bar in the Museum of the Medical College of Harvard University. Phinehas P. Gage Lebanon Grafton Cy N-H Jan 6 1850.”

Inscribed on Gage’s tamping iron:

In 1852, Gage was invited to Chile to work In 1852, Gage was invited to Chile to work as a long-distance stagecoach driver as a long-distance stagecoach driver hauling cargo.hauling cargo.

Gage began to have epileptic Gage began to have epileptic seizures in 1859, he moved to San seizures in 1859, he moved to San Francisco to be cared for by his Francisco to be cared for by his mother and sisters.mother and sisters.

Died May 21, 1860 at 36 – 12 years Died May 21, 1860 at 36 – 12 years after the accident.after the accident.

Gage’s body was Gage’s body was exhumed in 1867 exhumed in 1867 and the skull and and the skull and tamping iron were tamping iron were removed – they are removed – they are now at the Warren now at the Warren Anatomical Anatomical Museum at Museum at Harvard University Harvard University School of Medicine. School of Medicine.