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Odd Bits: The Confessions of Mary Toft

The Confession of Mary Toft

In 1726 the medical establishment of London was amazed by the apparent proof of the powers of “maternal impression” when a lady fascinated during pregnancy by the sighting of a wild rabbit proceeded to give birth to several of them*. Eventually Mary’s husband was caught buying rabbits on the down low and sneaking them to Mary to be her miraculous** rabbit babies, and the jig was up.

This here is Mary’s official confession about the hoax, from the collections of University of Glasgow Library.

*or parts thereof
**mostly miraculous in that she did not immediately die of horrible infection

Find out more:

“The Curious Case of Mary Toft” – University of Glasgow Library Special Collections

“An Extraordinary Delivery of Rabbits” – The Paris Review

“Mary Toft and her Extraordinary Delivery of Rabbits” – Public Domain Review

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