The British Joseph Merrick (1862 – 90) was known as the Elephant Man because of the disfigurement of his entire body. Merrick was not diagnosed during his lifetime, but doctors have come up with various hypotheses about a possible disease.
One of them is that he suffered from elephantiasis . This disease is caused by a parasitic worm infection that causes the bones to swell.
More recent studies of Merrick’s bones show that he probably had Proteus syndrome. This rare inherited disease causes bones, muscles, skin and tissues to grow out of control.
The first symptoms of the disease usually appear in childhood and the victims usually die young – this was also the case for Merrick, who began to have facial disfigurement at the age of two and only lived to be 28 years old.
The hypertrophy increased the weight on Merrick’s head to 9 kg.
Because of his appearance, he was shown in a circus and was given the name the elephant man. When such exhibitions were banned in England, he moved in 1886 to the London Hospital, where he spent the last few years.
There he met the doctor Frederick Treves and they became close friends. Treves’ portrayals made this disfigured and clever man a popular figure among the British upper class, members of which frequented Merrick.
Among the guests was Princess – and later Queen – Alexandra, who sent Merrick a Christmas card every year.
