He is also the first patient from whom we learned something about the relation between personality and the function of the front parts of the brain. Phineas gage, 25 years of age, a railroad foreman, was the companys most efficient and capable foreman. Phineas, a railroad construction foreman, was blasting rock near cavendish, vermont, in 1848 when a thirteenpound iron rod was shot through his brain. Stories of phineas gage malcolm macmillan 2000 in 1848 a railway construction worker named phineas gage suffered an accident that made him a major curiosity of medicine and a significant figure in psychology and neuroscience. Steve jones city medicine academy nc lesson plan for the.
Gage was 5 foot 6 inches tall, physically strong, and had been a responsible, intelligent, temperate habit, possessed considerable energy of character, and a socially welladapted man, a favorite with his peers and elders. Phineas gage was a 25yearold man working for a railbuilding company. The key events occurred in rural vermont more than 150 years ago. Articles from journal of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry are provided here courtesy of bmj. May 23, 2012 the man responsible for much of this reassessment is the historian malcolm macmillan, the author of an odd kind of fame. There is no doubt that gage suffered the accident, and that it had a dramatic impact on his life. He suffered a traumatic brain injury when an iron rod was driven through his entire skull, destroying much of his frontal lobe. Stories of phineas gage, australian psychologist malcolm macmillan casts serious doubts on the accuracy of the account that entered both scientific and popular discourse. Pdf the life of phineas gage stories and reality georg. On that day, he was laying explosives for another blast.
By rhodri hayward 479 denis hogan and bryce williamson eds. Published by massachusetts institute of technology, usa, 2000. How phineas gage survived a horrific brain injury to become one of the most famous names in medical history when gages frontal lobes got pulped in. I highly recommend an odd kind of fame to anyone interested in the history of neuroscience. Stories of phineas gage malcolm macmillan in 1848 a railway construction worker named phineas gage suffered an accident that made him a major curiosity of medicine and a significant figure in psychology and neuroscience. Stories of phineas gage explores the relation between the brain and complex personality characteristics through the exploration of the story of phineas gage.
Phineas gage was truly a man with a hole in his head. Central to malcolm macmillans book is the fascinating case of phineas gage, a railroad construction worker who, in 1848, was involved in an end page 192. Miraculously, he survived to live another eleven years and become a textbook case in brain science. It tells the story of phineas gageperhaps the most famous braininjured personwhose fate has been continually interpreted and misinterpreted ever since an iron rod passed through his brain in 1848. The phineas gage information page retrieved 7 april 2010. The strange case of phineas gage zbigniew kotowicz, 2007. Although slowed by a faulty hip replacementhe has trouble reaching books on the bottom shelves at libraries nowmacmillan continues to fight for gages reputation, and he has gotten so involved with his subject that he. Request pdf on jun 1, 2001, tilli tansey and others published an odd kind of fame. The full text of this article is available as a pdf 336k. I then share with them more of the story that was revealed by psychology malcolm macmillan in his 2000 book an odd kind of fame.
Stories of phineas gage, the university of melbournes malcolm macmillan writes that twothirds of introductory psychology textbooks mention gage. Although slowed by a faulty hip replacementhe has trouble reaching books on the bottom shelves at libraries nowmacmillan continues to fight for gages reputation, and he has gotten so involved with his subject that he now refers to him, familiarly, as phineas. Stories of phineas gage by malcolm macmillan, the mit press 2002 this is the definitive book on phineas gage. However, the books presentation of gage s history and symptoms has been criticized as fictionalized. While living in cavendish, vermont he was the first physician to see braininjury survivor phineas gage after gages famous accident. In june 2002 the international society for the history of the neurosciences awarded it its inaugural prize for the book making the most outstanding and original contribution to the. Stories of phineas gage explores the relation between the brain and complex personality characteristics through the. Phineas gage is often referred to as one of the most famous patients in neuroscience. Teaching of psychology coverage of the phineas gage story in. In 1848 a railway construction worker named phineas gage suffered an accident that made him a major curiosity of medicine and a significant figure in psychology and neuroscience.
A brief description of the contents of this book, which is 562 pages long and deals purely with the case of phineas gage, would lead most potential readers to throw up their hands in horror and to assume that. Others object that in using descartes name damasio was knowingly or unknowingly employing a straw man. It tells the story of phineas gageperhaps the most famous braininjured person whose fate has been continually interpreted and misinterpreted ever since an. In 1848 a railway construction worker named phineas gage suffere. Some of these documents may be posted elsewhere on the web, but dr. He told the digest that the results were very interesting and that it was particularly gratifying that the new analysis had confirmed the earlier. An odd kind of fame pdf free download ebook description in 1848 a railway construction worker named phineas gage suffered an accident that made him a major curiosity of medicine and a significant figure in psychology and neuroscience. Gage miraculously survived the accident but was so changed as a result that many of his friends described him as an almost different. Reviewed in the united states on december 21, 2012. An odd kind of fame books pics download new books and. An odd kind of fame is a meticulously researched and fascinating chapter in the history of neuroscience. More than 60 percent of psychology textbooks tell the story of gage, according to historian malcolm macmillan, author of the book an odd kind of fame.
Similarly, the unresponsive witnesses to genoveses murder appear in all 10 of the most popular undergraduate psychology textbooks, according to an 2008 article pdf. An odd kind of fame gained mit press the year 2000 excellence award in the history of science and technology section from the professional and scholarly division of the association of american publishers. The 19thcentury story of phineas gage is much quoted in neuroscientific literature as the first recorded case in which personality change from polite and sociable to psychopathic occurred after damage to the brain. An odd kind of fame life mask of phineas gage, probably made for henry jacob bigelow in late 1849 from the late dr. Neuroscience still haunted by phineas gage research digest. Stories of phineas gage it is one of a very small number of works devoted to phineas gage and, up to 2000, the only book ever written about him. Damasio uses phineas gage and other braindamage cases to argue that rationality stems from emotion, and that emotion stems from bodily senses. Gages story and its afterlife, an odd kind of fame. The phineas gage story phineas gage is probably the most famous person to have survived severe damage to the brain. Stories of phineas gage, and several subsequent articles.
Williams later became a member of the royal swedish academy of sciences and was decorated as a knight of the order of the polar star. Stories of phineas gage mit press, 1999 reprints all the important documents including dr. Here is the tamping iron and the inscription corrected since the publication of my book an odd kind of fame. By peter morris 481 jon agar, turing and the universal machine. A brief description of the contents of this book, which is 562 pages long and deals purely with the case of phineas gage, would lead most potential readers to throw up their hands in horror and to assume that the book.
Teaching of psychology coverage of the phineas gage story. Stories of phineas gage find, read and cite all the research you need. The man responsible for much of this reassessment is the historian malcolm macmillan, the author of an odd kind of fame. How phineas gage survived a horrific brain injury to become. Gagehis definitive book about gage, an odd kind of fame. Isbn 02623636 appendices reproduce harlow 1848 and 1868, bigelow 1850, and other primary documents, some unavailable elsewhere.