Final secret of John Merrick
Posted by Sane Spirit on Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Under: In the News
It was initially thought that he suffered from Elephantiasis, a parasitic infection characterised by the thickening and enlargement of skin and tissue, hence his nickname.
Then, in 2001, some scientists suggested that Merrick had suffered from a rare disease called Proteus syndrome – a congenital disorder that causes skin overgrowth and abnormal bone development. But other experts questioned the diagnosis, saying that the way his disease manifested was not typical of that condition. It is hoped this latest research will finally prove conclusive.
Scientists will extract DNA from Merrick's skeleton, which has been kept at the Royal London Hospital at Whitechapel, east London, since his death, aged 27, in 1890. Tests will then be carried out to see if it is possible to sequence Merrick's genome thereby identifying any gene alteration. The already complex technique has been made harder by the fact that Merrick's skeleton has been poorly preserved, and years of bleaching to keep it clean have degraded the remains.
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Merrick was born in Leicester in 1862. Because of his deformities, he was rejected by his father and stepmother and was forced on to the street to earn a living. He wore a cap and hood in an attempt to hide his disfigurement. He finally took a job as a sideshow "freak", exhibited as a curiosity. It wasn't until the surgeon Frederick Treves took him under his wing and brought him to the London Hospital, where he lived out his final years, that he became something of a celebrity – he was even visited by Alexandra, Princess of Wales.
Such is the power of Joseph Merrick's story, that adaptations of it continue to run today. The American actor Bradley Cooper is currently starring in a stage adaptation of The Elephant Man, and David Lynch's 1980 film of the same name, where Merrick was played by John Hurt, earned several Oscar nominations. An opera has also been composed that tells the story of Merrick's life.
Will DNA unlock the Elephant Man's final secret?
Then, in 2001, some scientists suggested that Merrick had suffered from a rare disease called Proteus syndrome – a congenital disorder that causes skin overgrowth and abnormal bone development. But other experts questioned the diagnosis, saying that the way his disease manifested was not typical of that condition. It is hoped this latest research will finally prove conclusive.
Scientists will extract DNA from Merrick's skeleton, which has been kept at the Royal London Hospital at Whitechapel, east London, since his death, aged 27, in 1890. Tests will then be carried out to see if it is possible to sequence Merrick's genome thereby identifying any gene alteration. The already complex technique has been made harder by the fact that Merrick's skeleton has been poorly preserved, and years of bleaching to keep it clean have degraded the remains.
[,,,]
Merrick was born in Leicester in 1862. Because of his deformities, he was rejected by his father and stepmother and was forced on to the street to earn a living. He wore a cap and hood in an attempt to hide his disfigurement. He finally took a job as a sideshow "freak", exhibited as a curiosity. It wasn't until the surgeon Frederick Treves took him under his wing and brought him to the London Hospital, where he lived out his final years, that he became something of a celebrity – he was even visited by Alexandra, Princess of Wales.
Such is the power of Joseph Merrick's story, that adaptations of it continue to run today. The American actor Bradley Cooper is currently starring in a stage adaptation of The Elephant Man, and David Lynch's 1980 film of the same name, where Merrick was played by John Hurt, earned several Oscar nominations. An opera has also been composed that tells the story of Merrick's life.
Will DNA unlock the Elephant Man's final secret?
In : In the News