Scientists have discovered the true cause of death for Joseph Merrick, famously known as the Elephant Man, was due to the weight of his oversized head crushing his spinal cord.
Joseph Merrick, a British man, suffered from a rare condition that caused his head to be abnormally large. His head was excessively heavy, and doctors of that time warned that if he lay down to sleep like a normal person, he would suffocate. Consequently, he had to sleep sitting up, with his legs drawn up so that his peculiar large head could rest on his knees.
Joseph Merrick, known as the Elephant Man, died due to the weight of his head crushing
his spinal cord. (Image: sabtheartist)
Thus, when Merrick was found dead in his bed in 1890 at the age of 27, his doctor, surgeon Frederick Treves at London Hospital, believed that Merrick had died from suffocation after attempting to sleep like a normal person.
However, scientists have now demonstrated that it was the weight of Merrick’s oversized head that crushed his spinal cord and caused his death.
Actor John Hurt portraying the man known as the Elephant Man. (Image: Daily Mail)
In a recent documentary on the Discovery Channel, a surgeon from Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia, Alex Vaccaro, stated that it was indeed the weight of the head that crushed the spinal cord, leading to Merrick’s unusual death. Dr. Vaccaro believes this is the primary reason for Merrick’s demise, as he had well-developed and strong neck muscles due to carrying the enormous head.
Dr. Vaccaro conducted a CT scan of Merrick’s skeleton, recreated its model on a computer, and discovered deformed vertebrae. He believes this deformation occurred when Merrick attempted to lie down, causing his head, which weighed over 20 pounds, to fall heavily onto the bed and sever his spinal cord.
Recent studies show that Merrick suffered from Proteus syndrome, a rare condition that causes abnormal growth of skin, bones, and muscles.
Merrick’s death elicited deep sympathy from people. The tragedy of the Elephant Man became the subject of a successful film in 1980, in which actor John Hurt portrayed the character of the Elephant Man.
