Rehabilitating Phineas Gage

Abstract

The view that Phineas Gage's accident made him permanently "no longer Gage" is scrutinised critically. Re-examination of the well-known older evidence together with a consideration of new material strongly implies that Gage eventually made a surprisingly good psychosocial adaptation to his injury. It is argued that the structure provided by the external circumstances of his work facilitated this result. Parallels are drawn with the theory and practice of modern rehabilitation which began with Luria.