
For over a century scientists have been baffled by what caused the terrible disfigurement of the Elephant Man Joseph Merrick. But now they will attempt to unlock the secret of his suffering by analysing DNA from his bones - and hope to finally diagnose his condition. Researchers intend to carry out tests next month to discover, if possible, Merrick's genome sequence which will highlight any gene alteration. His skeleton has been preserved at the Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel since his death at the age of 27 in 1890 after a life of being regarded as a freak in Victorian society...
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