A Brief History
On September 13, 1848, a Vermont railroad worker suffered a bizarre injury when a 3-foot metal rod went right through his head and proceeded to land 80 feet away.
Digging Deeper
Phineas Gage was 25-years old at the time and had been using 13-pound iron rod to tamp explosives into holes that had been bored in rock in order to blast a path for a railway. An unexpected explosion occurred, and the rod penetrated the left side of his face and exited out the top of his head, passing behind his left eye. Although much of Gage’s frontal brain lobe was damaged in the accident, he miraculously managed to survive.
This incident, often referred to as the “American Crowbar Case,” understandably created quite a stir. The stunned Gage was walking and talking within minutes, and when taken to a doctor by oxcart, he threw up, spilling some of his brains out of his head in the process. After being treated by the doctor in the best way the doctor knew how, Gage was left semi-comatose for several weeks.
In November he went home to his parents’ house in New Hampshire to recover. There it became apparent that he had only suffered moderate health effects from his horrific injury; his vision in his left eye had deteriorated, and his face was left partially paralyzed. His family and friends did say, however, that his personality had changed and that he was not the same man.
Gage eventually returned to working life, briefly making an appearance at PT Barnum’s American Museum. He then found work in Chile as a stage coach driver, and when his health began to fail, he went to San Francisco to be with his mom and sister who had relocated there.
He died in 1860, 12 years after the accident, of an epileptic seizure, most likely a late-term effect of the injury. Gage had carried around the iron bar with him for the remainder of his life.
His fascinating case was of great scientific interest and spurred research into the functions of the brain. The iron bar and Gage’s mutilated skull are now on display at the Warren Anatomical Museum in the Harvard Medical School.
Question for students (and subscribers): What other amazing stories of survival do you know? Please let us know in the comments section below this article.
If you liked this article and would like to receive notification of new articles, please feel welcome to subscribe to History and Headlines by liking us on Facebook and becoming one of our patrons!
Your readership is much appreciated!
Historical Evidence
For more information, please see…
Fleischman, John. Phineas Gage: A Gruesome but True Story About Brain Science. HMH Books for Young Readers, 2004.
Pliss, Todd Colby. The Only Living Man with a Hole in His Head. S.B. Addison Books, 2012.
