The true history of the elephant man

culture, colonialism and a hybrid political system, and lastly Marxism with a mixed culture and racial base. The author has drawn on a computer bank of references covering some eight thousand observations on famines over the past six thousand years. The extreme difficulties inherent in recording and analysing famines are recognized. Ten pages of various definitions of famine are given, a good working precept being "a protracted total shortage of food in a restricted geographical area causing widespread disease and death from starvation". The lack of detailed research on famines is not really surprising. In the acute situation no researcher can coolly investigate the condi tions and attitudes of those starving when the predominant action must be the allevia-tion of hunger and prevention of death. Part IV considers food, population, policies and strategies in relation to the prevention of a world famine. Using clear diagrams, lists, and graphs predominantly derived from United Nations sources the author discusses food availability and distribution, world food/population balance, and the world's carrying capacity (i.e. the ability of a place's resources to support a given way of life). He concludes that until humans recognize the importance of the well-being of all humans, and the environment is regarded as a responsibility rather than an economic opportunity, famines will signify that the carrying capacity of an environment has been exceeded. In the last chapter 'Policies and strategies' and the Epilogue, Professor Dando considers the Malthusian population theory and social policies, the "lifeboat" ethic, the triage ethic, and the Golden Rule (do as you would be done by) as possible policies that may be used by those in power. He is particularly concerned about current United States food policy which must have a powerful influence on the world situation. There are too many unknowns for the carrying capacity of the world to be quantified. However, Professor Dando has shown the role that humans play in moulding their physical and social environment, and places famines within their proper perspective of cultural decision-making. This book is a valuable contribution to the literature on food problems and famine and of interest to all those who are concerned about hunger in the world. The basic outlines of the life of Joseph Merrick, the elephant man, have long been known, above all from the short memoir published by Sir Frederick Treves in 1923. In 1884 as a young surgeon at the London Hospital …