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What Is Phineas Gage Case

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The Curious Case of Phineas Gage On the date of September 13th, 1848, one of the greatest medical miracles in history occurred. Not only was this case amazing, it was sounded too unbelievable to most and became liken into an old folk tale. However, this was no folk tale. The story of the living mad with a rod in his head was true and it stunned the entire medical community. This is the story of Phineas Gage. Working on a railroad is a dangerous job even in modern times. Thousands of people are hurt either working on railroads or being around railroads each year (Schottenstein, 2015). Therefore, as you can imagine, injuries and deaths were happening at an even higher rate in the 1800s. Phineas Gage was a railroad worker doing a job in Vermont …show more content…

“Gage did, according to Harlow, retain “full possession of his reason” after the accident, but his wife and other people close to him soon began to notice dramatic changes in his personality” (Constandi, 2006). Brain injury can often cause this type of personality change. It has been documented in many different cases. “ However, post-injury personality changes also meant that we dealt with bouts of intense anger, confusion, and unpredictable behavior” (Cromer, 2012). These types of personality can differ, however they are usually negative. This was seen in the case of Phineas Gage. Sadly his personality and temperament wasn’t the only thing that changed. Before the accident he was considered as one of the best workers on the job site (Constandi, 2006). However, after the injury, he could hardly work. (Constandi, 2006). “His contractors, who regarded him as the most efficient and capable foreman in their employ previous to his injury, considered the change in his mind so marked that they could not give him his place again. He is fitful, irreverent, indulging at times in the grossest profanity (which was not previously his custom), manifesting but little deference for his fellows, impatient of restraint of advice when it conflicts with his desires, at times pertinaciously obstinent, yet capricious and vacillating, devising many plans of future operation, which are no sooner arranged than they are abandoned in turn for others appearing more feasible. In this regard, his mind was radically changed, so decidedly that his friends and acquaintances said he was ‘no longer Gage.’” (Constandi, 2006). He sadly resorted to using his injury as an attraction to make money. He began traveling to do appearances so that people could see the injury and pay him for the “entertainment” (Constandi, 2006). He even decided to join up with the circus for a short period of time

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