EDITOR'S TABLE. 



265 



CORRESPONDENCE. 



A COEEECTION. 



To the Editors of the Popular Science Monthly. 



IN your February number, the article on 

 " The Old Phrenology and the New," by 

 Dr. Andrew Wilson, struck me as having 

 been conceived not only with some degree 

 of prejudice, but a lack of sufficient care in 

 reference to facts. I will refer you to one 

 case which relates to Mr. Gage, who had an 

 iron bar driven through his brain by a blast- 

 ing accident. Dr. Wilson conveys the idea 

 that his mental faculties were unaffected by 

 this most extraordinary injury and loss of 

 brain. Dr. J. M. Harlow, now of Woburn, 

 Massachusetts, had charge of the case, and 

 followed with great care the wanderings of 

 this young man, after he recovered from his 

 injury ; and after his death, which occurred 

 in California, twelve years after the accident, 

 he was able to get the cranium and the iron 

 bar that passed through it, and presented 

 them, with a detailed account of the case, 

 to the Massachusetts Medical Society ; and 

 they are now in the Museum of Harvard Col- 

 lege. In this paper Dr. Harlow says, in ref- 

 erence to the changad condition of the 

 mental faculties : " His physical health is 

 good, and I am inclined to say he has re- 

 covered. Has no pain in head, but says it 

 has a queer feeling which he is not able to 

 describe. Applied for his situation as fore- 

 man, but is undecided whether to work or 

 travel. His contractors, who regarded him 

 as the most efficient and capable foreman in 



their employ previous to bis injury, consid- 

 ered the change in his mind so marked that 

 they could not give him his place again. 

 The equilibrium or balance, so to speak, be- 

 tween his intellectual faculties and animal 

 propensities seems to have been destroyed. 

 He is fitful, irreverent, indulging at times in 

 the grossest profanity (which was not pre- 

 viously his custom), manifesting but little 

 deference for his fellows, impatient of re- 

 straint or advice when it conflicts with his 

 desires, at times pertinaciously obstinate, 

 yet capricious and vacillating, devising many 

 plans of future operations, which are no 

 sooner arranged than they are abandoned 

 in tumi for others appearing more feasible. 

 A child in his intellectual capacity and man- 

 ifestations, he has the animal passions of a 

 strong man. Previous to his injury, though 

 untrained in the schools, he possessed a well- 

 balanced mind, aud was looked upon by 

 those who knew him as a shrewd, smart busi- 

 ness man, very energetic and persistent in 

 executing all his plans of operation. In this 

 regard his mind was radically changed, so 

 decided that his friends and acquaintances 

 said he was ' no longer Gage.' " 



In this case of injury of the brain and 

 recovery, unparalleled, and of world-wide 

 interest, I deem it proper that the error in 

 reference to the condition of the intellectual 

 faculties should be corrected through your 

 periodical. Truly, 



John Clough. 

 Wobutoj, Massachusetts, Marcli 31, 1ST9. 



EDITOR'S TABLE. 



TEE LONDON TIMES ON INTERNATION- 

 AL COPYRIGHT. 



THE circular of Messrs. Harper, an- 

 nouncing that they will favor an in- 

 ternational copyright measure, is justly 

 regarded by the English press as sig- 

 nificant in relation to the progress of 

 the question, and they have made it 

 the occasion of general comment. The 

 tone of criticism is dissonant and, on 

 the whole, encouraging, though, as has 

 become the habit, predominantly abu- 

 sive and carping. But it must he con- 

 fessed that Harpers 1 circular was some- 



what calculated to provoke hostile Eng- 

 lish criticism. The conditions under 

 which they are willing to concede to 

 foreign authors the legal right of prop- 

 erty in their works, which are not only 

 that the books shall be manufactured 

 in this country, but by American citi- 

 zens, and published within three months 

 after their issue at home, are denounced 

 as so illiberal as to he hardly worth 

 entertaining. The London "Times," 

 in a first article upon the subject, was 

 disposed to " welcome the result " on 

 the ground that something is gained 



