What Is Elephantiasis?
9. Did the “Elephant Man” Have Elephantiasis?
The Elephant Man, whose real name was Joseph Merrick, had Proteus Syndrome. He was born healthy, but he later developed the characteristic thick, rough skin of what doctors thought was elephantiasis. As he lived in the late 19th century, there was no way to do X-rays or genetic testing.
Joseph Merrick was not correctly diagnosed with it until 1996 when a radiologist was able to examine scans of his skeleton. Though he was misdiagnosed and mistreated for most of his life, Merrick’s life was the inspiration of the 1980 movie “The Elephant Man”, and his condition sparked numerous discussions about the inhumane treatment of people with obvious deformities and disabilities.
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