5 facts about john merrick

As for the cause of Merrick's deformities, the explanation is still somewhat of a mystery. He himself reportedly believed that his physical characteristics were a result of his mother's encounter with an elephant, but experts originally thought they were caused by elephantiasis.

Now, scientists believe Merrick suffered from an extremely severe case of neurofibromatosis and/or a rare disease called Proteus syndrome.

In , Merrick made a life-changing decision. "He decided to check himself out [of the workhouse] in order to put himself on display as a 'freak,'" Durbach says.

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Merrick reached out to Sam Torr, the proprietor of a Leicester music hall called the Gaiety Palace of Varieties. Soon, Torr was exhibiting Merrick as "The Elephant Man, Half-Man, Half-Elephant" and he achieved great local success before moving his act to London.

To avoid harassment in public, Merrick often donned a cape and veil to conceal