Bibliographical citation: Fleischman, J. (2002). A Gruesome But True Story About Brain Science. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. 86 pages. ISBN: 9780618494781.
Awards: ALA Notable Children's Books (2003), Best Fiction for Young Adults (2003), Orbis Pictus Honor (2003).
Author's website: none
Annotation: While examining and discussing the unique case of Phineas Gage, this narrative explores the various theories of brain function 150 years ago and compares it to what we know today. This compelling narrative answers as many questions as it raises.
Personal Reaction: In this interesting story about brain science, John Fleischman focuses on Phineas Gage, the victim of a freak accident while working on a railroad in Vermont in 1848. Gage is in charge of preparing explosives, a tricky task but one that he does well. This day, however, a mistake is made that causes an explosion. This explosion propels a tamping iron through the skull of Phineas. This iron enters underneath his chin and exits above his eye. What is freaky about this accident is that Phineas survives and is walking and talking directly after the incident. How is this possible? Phineas is first examined by a doctor from a neighborhood town who was perplexed that he was still alive with this injury, and did not believe the story that Phineas told him. When Dr. John Harlow, the town's regular physician examines Phineas, he is bleeding from several areas, but is alert and anxious to return to work. Dr. Harlow examines his wound very closely and realizes that he has an opening in the top of his skull, exposing the brain. Dr. Harlow cleans the wounded area carefully and gently presses the areas of the skull that remain back into place. He then dresses the wound with a bandage to try to help it heal. This opening in the skull proves to benefit Phineas, since it allows room for his brain to expand when it begins to swell. A few days after the accident, Phineas seems to become worse. He develops a high fever and what appears to be an infection, although this was before the medical profession was aware of bacteria and what it could do. Dr. Harlow continued to treat Phineas by draining the infected area and give him good care. It was this care, along with Phineas' strong immune system that most likely allowed him to live. But was Phineas the same?
According to various accounts, his behavior had changed drastically. Gone was the confident and able bodied man who could be a foreman and direct other workers. Although Phineas regained his physical abilities to work, his socialization skills seem to be severely lacking and he was unable to relate to others since he changed his mind often and became angry at a moment's notice. This caused Phineas to be fired and he left Vermont to pursue work elsewhere. Dr. Harlow eventually lost track of his patient, only to find out years later that Phineas continued to live for over 11 years after his accident. He eventually died in 1860 due to multiple and persistent epileptic seizures. Dr. Harlow wasted no time in getting permission from Phineas' mother to dig up the corpse of Phineas and study his skull. This skull is still on display in a Harvard medical museum, along with the tamping rod that Phineas carried with him for the rest of his life that was also buried alongside him.
At the time of this accident, there were so many different theories surrounding the functions of the brain, and several groups who negated each other in their findings. The tamping iron had struck the left hemisphere of Phineas' brain and grazed the right hemisphere on its exit. Most of the damage seemed to occur within the frontal lobe. But what was the function of the frontal lobe? There were so many theories at this time and so much was still unknown about the brain. Fleischman discusses the various areas of the brain and its functions and compares what was known and believed then to what is known today. This study of Phineas as well as other patients with similar injuries raises many questions about human social behavior and the brain. How does all of this relate to current brain injuries? What areas of the brain impact social behavior? This unique and engaging story answers some of these questions and raises even more. What I find interesting is that regardless of how many studies are conducted on the various parts and functions of the brain, it always seems that each discovery only makes us realize how little we really know.
Front/Back Matter: Acknowledgements, Glossary, Resources, Index
*Bibliographical citation information, award information, as well as image retrieved from www.bwibooks.com (Titletales).
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