Mary Toft: The Woman Who Gave Birth To Rabbits
Welcome To The Oddity Shop, Where The Bizarre is Always on Sale. This week, your Curator Zach brings you the Story of Mary Toft.
We delve into the bizarre 1726 case of Mary Toft, a poor English woman who convinced doctors and even King George I that she was giving birth to rabbits.
• Mary Toft, a poor illiterate woman from Surrey, claimed to give birth to animal parts and rabbits following a miscarriage
• Local man-midwife John Howard became convinced of the phenomenon and documented the strange births
• The story reached King George I, who sent several royal physicians to investigate
• Medical theory of the time suggested "maternal impression" could explain animal births if a woman was traumatized during pregnancy
• The hoax unraveled when a porter was caught smuggling rabbits into Mary's quarters
• The scandal ruined the reputations of several prominent doctors who had been fooled
Leave a bunny emoji in a hole if you've heard this story before, or if you know of other historical medical hoaxes that are equally bizarre. The most important thing you can do for us is to creep with your little oddballs!
Reference Shout Outs:
https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/library/files/special/exhibns/month/aug2009.html
https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/mary-toft-gave-birth-to-rabbits
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