In late 1726, news spread from Godalming, England, that a poor 24-year-old woman named Mary Toft had delivered several animal parts, specifically pieces of rabbits. Local surgeon John Howard investigated and, over several weeks, personally assisted Toft in 'delivering' numerous animal parts and dead leverets. Stunned by the phenomenon, Howard sent letters to leading medical figures across the country.
The news reached King George I, who sent his personal anatomist, Nathanael St. André, and surgeon Samuel Molyneux to investigate. St.
André, eager for scientific renown, observed several deliveries firsthand, tested the lungs of the rabbits in water, and declared the births authentic, theorizing it was a case of 'maternal impression' caused by Toft's intense craving for rabbit meat after being startled by a hare in a field. Toft was brought to London, where she became a national sensation and was placed under constant medical observation. The medical community engaged in heated debates, and pork sales plummeted as people feared eating animal flesh.
However, the hoax rapidly unraveled when a porter at the lodging house was caught sneaking a young rabbit into Toft's room. Under intense interrogation by prominent physician Sir Richard Manningham, Toft confessed that she had manually inserted the dead rabbit parts into her vagina. The revelation ruined the careers of several high-profile medical practitioners, including St.
André, and inspired satirical prints by artists like William Hogarth.