Joseph Carey Merrick (August 5, 1862 Leicester, England - April 11, 1890 London), also known as "
The Elephant Man", became famous because of the malformations who suffered from terrible year and a half. Sentenced to spend most of their lives enrolled in the world of entertainment, only found solace in his later years. Despite his unfortunate illness, stood out for its gentle and polite, as well as an above-average intelligence who could only demonstrate in its aftermath. Although still not known with absolute certainty, it is believed that Joseph may have suffered a serious change of Proteus syndrome, which could represent the worst case known so far. Joseph Carey Merrick
child of the marriage was made by the trader Joseph Rockley Merrick and Mary Jane. Started to show early signs of disease at 18 months. From the 4 or 5 years old, his body began to form lumps and the bones of their limbs and skulls were developed abnormally.
According to his own testimony, the boy never got to play with his classmates because his deformed legs and hips from doing so. A Thereafter, the courage and the courage to overcome his crippling disease would be constants that define his life. His mother, Mary Jane, was determined to attend school. She even came from the countryside and poor family, could read and write and was closely linked to the Baptist church in Leicester. Sunday worked teaching children who could not attend school during the week because they had to work.
deformations
As Joseph began to be as dramatic, many people gathered in the street to watch, a fact that Mary Jane did take him and bring the school personally. Also carried with him when I was teaching at school Sunday. So, Joseph spent his childhood beside his mother, which he developed a great reliance on it. Most, always remembered as a very loving mother and given to their children.
Joseph had two brothers younger than himself: William, born in 1866 and died of scarlet fever in 1870, and Marion Eliza, born in 1867 and died in 1870. Her younger siblings were healthy and showed no deformation.
Joseph's father, who had always earned his living as the coachman opened a small haberdashery in 1870 who ran with his wife until 1873, the year she died of bronchopneumonia. According to Joseph (which was then 11 years), that was the worst event of his life, even worse than the disease, since along with his mother was the only person who had shown true love and had cared for him. It was totally alone, and at this point is when they started over conditions.
Soon after, his father would return to marry a widow with two children, and with it, his misfortunes have been exacerbated, thus entering stage unhappiest of his life, already tragic. His stepmother and siblings did not accept and, in addition to the continuous harassment given him and ignoring all the difficulties that caused him his deformities, and requires that you win money to help support the family. Continually reproached who hid in their birth order not to work. Joseph recalled that his stepmother used to remove the food dish when it was still half-finished recriminations, with the little they brought home, what was eaten was much more than he deserved.
At the insistence of his stepmother, and thanks to the help of his uncle Charles Merrick, got employed in a cigar factory. In it, he worked for two years, until his huge right hand and deformadísima keep him from tying leaves and, consequently, he was fired.
Continued humiliation of the victim was at home, and although this would involve losing her lunch, took him to escape several times from home. His father looked for him and Joseph only agreed to return if his father promised to treat him better. In these escapes do not get to escape the pain, then suffered a serious strain on the hip, combined with a pronounced scoliosis, it required an extra effort to stand. His father, later in his autobiography that he never wanted to reproach as a son, got him a peddler's license. With a car, Joseph walked the streets of Leicester selling items notions of father. In full development of adolescence, Joseph ailments worsened and he looked as impressive. Their image and caused surprise and obviously, his work as a salesman was a total failure.
In those days, and Joseph's jaw was deformed and a large tumor, he was growing just above the mouth making his speech was almost unintelligible. At the end of his life Merrick describe how in this new journey through the streets of Leicester, children and adults crowded around shouting and swearing. By not selling anything, at home things did not improve and sometimes, Joseph gave his father gave him money for lunch by passing as out money from sales, so I would rather spend the day without eating to support the fight of his stepmother.
Finally, the unbearable family pressure, successive ultimatums of her father and stepmother to physical punishment caused Joseph to leave the premises forever taking their few belongings into his car salesman at the age of 15 years. After leaving home during the day continued to sell goods notions that had brought and at night slept in the street. His uncle, Charles Merrick, younger brother of his father, ran a barber shop and alerted by neighbors of the situation of his nephew, went to look and took it into home for two years. Joseph always remembered the good treatment he received from his uncles. His uncle, who died in 1925, he witnessed the mistreatment he received Joseph by his stepmother and the total abandonment of his father. This made the relations between Charles and his brother were very tense. Charles Merrick also mentioned the strong will of her nephew, whom he saw come out every day to sell your car knowing that he would return with empty hands.
In 1879, Joseph's life became complicated. The union local vendors had complained that Joseph Merrick was "bad image" to the industry and asked them not to renew her license to sell. Joseph ignored the complaint and when he went to renew his license was found that he was denied renewal. His uncle's house was very small and Charles and his wife were expecting a child. Joseph thought it was a heavy burden for them and should not abuse their kindness. Even against the advice of his uncle, Joseph decided to join the Leicester Union Workhouse at the end of 1879. The living conditions of so-called Work House (workhouses) were extremely harsh and Joseph resisted them for 12 weeks. He left, but only for two days. When he realized that would never find work as a normal person, had to return and remained there for four years.
Joseph always spoke of his stay in the hall with fear and horror. In the fourth year of being there, the bump that grew in the face and prevented him from eating and those responsible for the Work House believed appropriate to the "Leicester Infirmary" for an operation and by the way, I stay because in Work House did not give asylum to those who could not make a soup and a bed that offered the British state for work.
Leicester Infirmary in the extrusion was operated as elephant trunk that gave rise to his nickname. Joseph recalled that the operation was very painful but I managed to remove half a kilogram of tissue and he could go back to eating better and speak more clearly. While recovering from the operation increased his desire not to return to the Work House and thought how I could make a living. Exhibited in the carnivals of the time, was the only way out for him but did not like the idea. Merrick learned from a newspaper that shows a known promoter named Sam Torr was in Leicester and decided to write explaining your situation and was interested in working for him. The developer as he saw it, knew it was going to do business. Immediately incorporated it into his show and so Joseph began exhibited his passage to England. Their number was a big attraction. By Sam Torr
Fair became entrepreneur Tom Norman. In his time at the carnivals, I had a bad memory and even got to meet other colleagues. With Tom Norman came to London in late 1884. Norman managed to rent a space in front of the Royal London Hospital (Royal London Hospital) where he showed to Joseph for several weeks. The doctor Frederick Treves saw Joseph for the first time this year on the recommendation of a medical student who knew his interest in everything connected with disfiguring diseases. Treves was strongly impressed with the appearance of Joseph Merrick and Tom Norman requested that he might make a medical examination. Treves noted at first glance that Joseph had been operated in the face as he noticed the keloid scar and therefore that had formed on his upper lip.
Treves gave a card to Tom Norman that would allow to enter the hospital without an appointment and no questions. With this card, Tom Norman took Joseph Merrick quietly to the hospital and there it was several days Treves making surveys and showed it to the scientific community hospital and other medical facilities. Became evident that the disease was incurable and could not stay in the hospital, Joseph had to leave the shop. During that time, Joseph of timidity, fear and because they did not express well because not keep his mouth distorted almost conversation with Treves. Such was his silence that Treves thought he had mental retardation, although this was not true.
The exhibition in London continued until nearly the spring of 1885, when it was closed by the authorities. It was not the first time the exhibition was closed by Joseph find it "indecent" because it looked amazing. In almost all places where he worked, his show was closed. In this situation, Tom Norman met an Italian named Ferrari developer who proposed to take Joseph to the European continent. Because Joseph Merrick could no longer work in England, Norman decided to leave it to Ferrari English although the promoter never gave a good impression Italian.
was customary at the time that the developers kept the profits of its attractions, so Norman gave the 50 pounds that Joseph had won without his protest. Joseph Ferrari, and set sail to Belgium in June 1886. What they both did not expect is that in Europe the laws concerning the display of people with deformities were so severe. And Joseph exhibits were closed a few days of being open about having no income or to sustain. Going from city to city, pursued by the authorities arrived at the city of Brussels. There, Ferrari left to fend for Joseph taking the 50 pound Merrick had won after two years of work.
Alone and without knowing the French managed to pawn a few belongings. With great difficulty, came to Ostend, where he bought a ticket to return to England. He struggled to let him board because he did not want a captain on his boat. He managed at last to let him get on a boat, but under the condition that they not be mixed with other passengers. As bad weather had to stay hidden in the roof to the elements during the ten hour trip (most of them at night), causing his bronchitis. Docked in the town of Dover where he took a train to London. On the train also sought up to an empty wagon and hid in a corner to avoid being observed while avoiding a riot.
Merrick came to Liverpool Street station in London to seven in the morning of December 1, 1886. Getting off the train, people noticed his presence and began to rebuke him, to surround him and try to break the cap with the veil that hid his face. Joseph tried to escape in vain. When police arrived, Merrick was on the verge of a fit of madness, talking in a hurried and could not make it clear. He knew absolutely no one in London and did not know the city and that despite having traveled throughout England never went out of his caravan or place of exhibition. When asked by the police were only able to show the card of Dr. Frederick Treves had kept for nearly two years. Treves was called to the station and took him to London Hospital. There he was entering by fraud, which brought him trouble with his superiors.
Hospital director Joseph understood the situation, but the London Hospital at the time did not accept the chronically ill. Considered the possibility of sending some asylum, but all refused. Joseph Merrick suggested that sent him to the installation of a lighthouse or an asylum for the blind and repeatedly asked not to send him a Work House. According to Treves, was terrified at the thought of returning to such an institution. The request to go to a lighthouse was because at that time Joseph had real panic people, and going to the asylum for the blind was to be able to interact with people without the anxiety of being seen and treated it as normal.
However, the hospital director had the idea to insert a newspaper ad requesting financial assistance in order to make a background for Joseph and to justify the power to have him stay for life. The response of English society was a success, it received large sums of money. Fixed economic issue, some rooms were fitted to Joseph that become his last home. Again
had a huge impact when one's Alexandra, Princess of Wales and the Duke of Cambridge is personally interested in the fate of the unfortunate Merrick. Merrick would be there that, once achieved the peace that had longed, was devoted to his two great passions: reading and writing romance novels. Also, soon, and persuaded by Dr. Frederick Treves, Merrick began to receive visits, which always struck with his extraordinary education and sensitivity. Among the many personalities he encountered underscores the Princess of Wales, who was on several occasions.
On the morning of April 11, 1890, at 27 years of age, the happiest time of his life, Joseph Carey Merrick was found dead in his bed. Treves, after examination, concluded he died of suffocation when falling asleep. Merrick's head was huge and only managed to keep upright effort. Its enormous size and weight prevented Merrick could sleep lying down, forcing him always that he should make sitting in a special position, otherwise you malformation compressing the trachea and made it difficult to breathe heavily. But now, after more detailed analysis of the skeleton, rather than by suffocation, is estimated as the most likely cause he died suddenly inclined her head because of its disproportionate weight and injure the neck.
Merrick, always on a look simplistic and naive, thought that the cause of deformation of the attack came during a show, an elephant with his mother when she was pregnant with him. According to his own words:
saw the light for the first time on August 5, 1862. I was born in Lee Street, Leicester. The deformity I get out now is that an elephant frightened my mother, she walked down the street as a procession of animals paraded. A huge crowd gathered to see them, and unfortunately my mother pushed under the legs of an elephant. She was very scared. She was pregnant with me, and this misfortune was the cause of my deformity.
From a scientific standpoint, it was initially believed that Merrick suffered from filariasis, commonly known as elephantiasis, and whose cause is a worm that acts as a parasite. However filariasis is a tropical disease that has no presence in the British Isles, and in no case produced severe bone deformities suffered by Merrick. Subsequently, rediagnosticó the case and ran to believe he suffered neurofibromatosis, also known as elephant man's disease. Some time later, also dismissed this possibility, since some symptoms characteristic of neurofibromatosis come in clear contradiction to evidence found in the case of Merrick. Currently, in a majority, the medical community believes that the illness he suffered was a severe change in the Proteus syndrome. Still, it is possible that this is indeed a new disease, and that Merrick had the misfortune of being the only case on record.
clinical history in the Royal London Hospital and the deformations were described by Joseph Merrick:
... an enormous and deformed head, right arm and both legs very bent, emphasizing stretching and hypertrophy of the majority of the fingers of his right hand, scoliosis, and a pronounced limp in his left hip. Had numerous nodules and papillary masses, like a cauliflower, widely disseminated in the skin and soft tissue of the scalp, right side of the face, back, buttocks and limbs. Protruding upper jaw bone mass, creating a unique appearance as a proboscis, this mass had recurred after resection at the age of 20 years.
Merrick came to describe himself as follows:
My skull has a circumference of 91.44 cm, with a large bump fleshy in the rear of the size of a tea cup. The other part is, describe it in some way, a collection of hills and valleys, as if it had amassed, while my face is a vision that no one could imagine. The right hand is about the size and shape of an elephant's foreleg, measuring over 30 cm in circumference at the wrist and 12 on one finger. The other arm with his hand is not larger than a child of ten years old, though well proportioned. My legs and feet, like my body, covered by a thick skin and putty-like, very similar to that of an elephant and almost the same color. In fact, nobody that I have not seen believe that a thing may exist. 
