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Further into Imperfecta Living Curiosities: Agency and Exploitation of the Teratological Body Curiosity draws us to the monstrous. But seeing is believing: whether in a book, a museum, or in a show, for centuries people have flocked to see “monsters” for themselves. In the 19th century, many people born with non-normative bodies performed as “freaks” in circus sideshows. Circuses became a sensation and they served as a forerunner to the modern entertainment industry. This exhibit explores the lives of the performers and showmen whose livelihoods depended on the public’s curiosity about seeing wondrous bodies for themselves. Seeing is Believing: Visualizing the Teratological Body When it comes to the wondrous, seeing is believing. From this page, you can explore some of the ways that “monsters” have been depicted over the centuries. Woodcuts in early modern texts, preservation in medical museums, and photography all have been used to display people. These technologies allowed one person’s image to travel across the world and allowed their subjects to “survive” beyond death. What Does It Mean to be "Other?" What does it mean to be a “monster?” What does it mean to be “normal?” These are not objective categories. They have changed meaning throughout history as people have become exposed to a wider diversity of nature, people, and ideas. From this path, you can explore some types of “Otherness” that have, throughout history, challenged apparently objective categories and shaped the direction of science.

Mary Toft, the Woman Who Gave Birth to Rabbits

In September 1726, news spread around England about a young servant woman who had given birth to several rabbits. After having miscarried a month earlier, Mary Toft still appeared pregnant, and after a labor attended by her neighbor, Toft gave birth to what “looked like a liverless cat.” Toft’s family called the physician from a nearby town who, upon visiting Toft, was presented with many animal parts.

Over the course of the next month, the physician recorded that Toft had given birth to the legs of a cat, a rabbit’s head and nine dead baby rabbits. Having witnessed these miraculous births, the physician sent letters to many of England’s prominent physicians and scientists. News even reached the court of King George I, who sent two people to investigate the matter.

The investigators had some doubts about the veracity of these strange births, but decided to keep their thoughts private until the matter was settled. However, it was too late to stop the torrent of interest that was generating throughout England. Soon the story came to the attention of the national press, causing a sensation.

Toft explained that earlier that year she had been working in a field and was startled by a group of rabbits. Toft and another woman chased after the rabbits, but failed to catch them. "That same Night she dreamt she was in a Field with those two Rabbets in her Lap, and awakened with a sick Fit, which lasted till Morning; from that time, for above three months, she had a constant and strong desire to eat Rabbets, but being very poor and indigent cou'd not procure any."

The media attention, which was likely one of Toft’s motivations for instigating this affair, was the hoax’s undoing. Due to this scrutiny, a porter was caught bringing a dead rabbit to her room. It was exposed that, after her miscarriage, while her cervix was still dilated, Toft had the animal parts inserted to create the ruse.

Still, Sir Richard Manningham, one of the physicians sent to attend Toft wished to conduct a painful surgery to determine if Toft was different from normal women. Under this duress, Toft admitted that she had then periodically inserted rabbits into her vagina to sustain the hoax.

The fallout from the incident affected many. The attending physicians and scientists, some of whom continued to believe and defend Toft’s narrative, had their reputations tarnished, and many lost their appointments. Toft was arrested, but her case was dismissed likely to avoid more embarrassment.

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Contents of this path:
1. Mary Toft, the Woman Who Gave Birth to Rabbits In September 1726, news spread around England about a young servant woman who had given birth to several rabbits. After having miscarried a month earlier, Mary Toft still appeared pregnant, and after a labor attended by her neighbor, Toft gave birth to what “looked like a liverless cat.” Toft’s family called the physician from a nearby town who, upon visiting Toft, was presented with many animal parts.
4. Modern Science and the Limits of Maternal Impression Many of the ideas and scenarios presented here as examples of maternal impression seem fantastic or even absurd to the modern reader. Indeed, the continuing scientific revolutions of the 20th century, such as those in the field of genetics, did much to dispel the hold of maternal impression on western medicine. However, articles dating to the 1990’s continue to state that, in some cases, maternal impression is a real and literal exchange between a mother and the fetus she carries.

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Credulity, Superstition, & Fanaticism