tamping iron of Phineas Gage

E594614

The tamping iron of Phineas Gage is the long iron rod that famously passed through Gage’s skull in an 1848 railroad accident, becoming a landmark artifact in the study of brain function and personality.

Jump to: Statements Referenced by

Statements (47)

Predicate Object
instanceOf historical artifact
medical museum object
tamping iron
associatedWithEvent 1848 Phineas Gage railroad accident NERFINISHED
associatedWithField history of medicine
neuropsychology
neuroscience
psychology
associatedWithOccupation railroad construction foreman
associatedWithPerson John Martyn Harlow NERFINISHED
culturalSignificance iconic object in popular neuroscience
currentLocation Warren Anatomical Museum NERFINISHED
damagedBrainRegion frontal lobes of Phineas Gage
dateOfEvent 1848
diameter about 1.25 inches
about 3.2 centimeters
donatedTo Harvard Medical School NERFINISHED
enteredAt left cheek of Phineas Gage
exitedAt top of skull of Phineas Gage
feature tapered end
featuredIn medical textbooks
museum exhibits
neuroscience lectures
inscription This is the bar that was shot through the head of Mr. Phinehas P. Gage
inscriptionLanguage English
laterOwner Phineas Gage’s family
length about 1.1 meters
about 3 feet 7 inches
locatedIn Harvard Medical School NERFINISHED
locatedInCity Boston NERFINISHED
locatedInCountry United States of America
surface form: United States
locatedInState Massachusetts
material iron
museumIdentifier Warren Anatomical Museum catalog object
owner Phineas Gage NERFINISHED
passedThrough skull of Phineas Gage
preservationStatus well preserved
publicAccess on display to visitors at Warren Anatomical Museum
relatedArtifact skull of Phineas Gage
roleInScience landmark case in study of brain and personality
shape cylindrical rod
symbolizes relationship between brain injury and personality change
timePeriod 19th century
usedBy Phineas Gage NERFINISHED
usedFor tamping blasting powder in rock
weight about 13.25 pounds
about 6 kilograms

Referenced by (1)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Phineas Gage hasPart tamping iron of Phineas Gage