_If you send a Person, let him bring a Letter from you._
[1] This Account was taken the 4th Instant at _Guilford_ by Mr.
_Davenant_.
[2] The Letters were directed to Mr. _Davenant_.
These Letters, with others to Persons of Distinction in Town, which all
agreed with the above-mentioned, were sufficient to make me desirous of
being convinced personally of a Fact of which there was no Instance in
Nature. Accordingly on the 15th Instant, I attended the Honourable Mr.
_Molyneux_, Secretary to his Royal Highness the Prince of _Wales_, who
was inclin’d to enquire into the Truth of this extraordinary Case, and
desir’d me to go with him to _Guilford_: We arrived there at about half
an hour after two in the Afternoon. We sent to Mr. _Howard_, who came to
us immediately, and told us that the Woman was actually in Labour of the
fifteenth Rabbet. We had not been at his House long, before the Nurse who
attends the Woman came to call Mr. _Howard_ to her, she being then in one
of her labour Pains.
She was lodged over against Mr. _Howard_’s House, we found her dress’d
in her Stays, sitting on the Bed-side with several Women near her. I
immediately examined her, and not finding the Parts prepared for her
Labour, I waited for the coming on of fresh Pains, which hapned in three
or four minutes, at which time I deliver’d her of the entire Trunk,
strip’d of its Skin, of a Rabbet of about four Months growth, in which
the Heart and Lungs were contained with the Diaphragm entire. I instantly
cut off a piece of them, and tried them in Water; they seemed but just
specifically lighter than it, and Mr. _Molyneux_ pressing them to the
Bottom they rose again very slowly; the Heart was very large, and its
_Foramen Ovale_ entirely open; the Lungs were remarkably small, and of
a much darker Colour than commonly the Lungs are of such Rabbets, who
have breathed for some time. No Person but my self touch’d her, from the
first time that I had examined her, to the time of her being deliver’d
by me: Her Pains were pretty smart, and lasted for some Minutes; they
went off the Moment she was deliver’d, and she seem’d chearful and easy;
walked by herself from the Bed-side to the Fire, and sat on a Chair,
where I examined her; and found, that in the Course of the _Fallopian
Tubes_, there were some Inequalities, but more sensibly on the right
side of her Belly; which made me conjecture that the Rabbets were bred
in those Tubes, and only came into the _Uterus_, when they gave her
those Agitations, which, according to the account of Mr. _Howard_ and
of several other Persons, were sensibly felt many Hours before their
Exclusion.
As there was no Blood nor Water that issued from the _Vagina_, after I
had delivered her, I again examined that Part, and found it not in the
least inflamed or lacerated.
Upon examining her Breasts, I found Milk in one of them, but only a
little yellowish _Serum_ in the other.
Her Pulse was regular, but somewhat low, her Tongue florid; and upon
asking for her Water, those about her answered, she made very little, and
that they had not saved any.
She informed us, that in the Intervals of her Labour-Pains she was
tolerably easy, and had no inclination for any sort of Food but Beef.
About two Hours after we had left her, they came again to call Mr.
_Howard_, she being at that Time in violent Labour-Pains; but he and
my self were gone to see the Mayor, who was then ill. The Nurse that
attended her had delivered her, before our return, of the lower Part of
a Male Rabbet, which we found totally with the Trunk, which I had before
extracted: This was also strip’d of its Skin, and compleatly perfect in
all its Parts, but more manifestly so in those of Generation.
In the _Rectum_ of this Animal, which remain’d affix’d to the Body, we
found five or six Pellets, much of the same Colour and Consistence as
the common Dung of a Rabbet, little Bodies, like dried Fragments, being
matted together with a mucous Matter. The like was observed in some
other Parts of those Rabbets, which had come away before. In the other
Bowels there was a dirty colour’d _Mucus_, of the Nature of that which
is constantly found in the Bowels of all _fœtus_ Animals, and which in
those that void their Excrements in Pellets, is commonly hard and dry;
but the Matter in the Guts of the first Animal was of an entire different
Kind, Colour and Substance from any of the rest, this being like little
Filaments of an Animal Substance. In the Middle of the Gut _Ilium_ of
this Creature, I found a very slender, brittle, white Body, of the Length
of half an Inch, which in Shape was like a very small Fish-bones.
Between six and seven the same Evening we again visited her; we had not
been there long, before she fell into violent Labour-Pains, insomuch
that four or five Persons cou’d hardly confine her to an Arm-Chair: As
soon as the Violence of the first Pain was somewhat abated, I examined
her as before, and found the _Vagina_ perfectly clear; and the Orifice
of the _Uterus_ so far closed, as not to admit of the little Finger, I
constantly stood before her, nor did any Person whatsoever touch her,
during that Time. After three or four very strong Pains, that lasted
several Minutes, I delivered her of the Skin of the above-said Rabbet,
rolled and squeezed up like a Ball, without the least Moisture or Blood
about it; upon which she recovered of her Pain.
From that Time I did not stir from before her, nor did I withdraw my
Hand, but to deliver the Skin to a stander by.
About ten Minutes after, as near as I can judge, she again fell into
Labour-Pains, though more sudden and short than the former; at which
time I again deliver’d her of the Head of the Rabbet, with the Furr
on, part of one of the Ears being torn off, also without any Blood or
Moisture: And as to these two Deliveries, and particularly as to the
Circumstances of the latter, Mr. _Molyneux_ having drawn up an Account of
this whole Affair, for his own private Satisfaction; immediately upon our
return to _London_, I beg leave to refer, for the Conviction he had of
the Truth thereof, to that Account which I have his leave to say, he will
communicate to any Gentleman that is desirous to peruse it.
After this she soon grew easy, and Mr. _Howard_ gave her a sleeping
Draught.
About ten in the Evening we saw the Woman for the last Time, she being
then in Bed: Having felt her Belly, I found it soft, except those Lumps,
which still were in the same Place as before mentioned.
Between the Times of visiting the Woman, we examined the several Rabbets,
which were all kept separate in distinct Pots, with Spirits of Wine, in
the Order that they were brought away.
The first Animal did not appear to be a perfect Rabbet, in all its
Parts, three of the Feet being like the Paws of a Cat, the Stomach and
Intestines like those Parts in the same Animal, as also the Shape and
Figure of the _Thorax_; the Lungs and Heart of which were entirely out
of their natural Situation, and squeezed out between the upper Ribbs and
_Vertebræ_ of the Neck, to which Parts they strongly grew and adhered.
The Lungs of this Creature, had they been placed in their natural Cavity,
would not have filled above a sixth Part of it: The Bones of this
Creature being also different in Substance and Structure, from those of
common Rabbets, the Head and one Paw only excepted.
All the other thirteen Animals were, in every Particular, like well
formed, common, natural Rabbets, from the Size of two Months Growth to
four. They were all broken in Pieces, and much in the same Manner. I
shall describe these pieces in the Order that Mr. _Howard_ told us they
had commonly been brought away. First the four Paws with the Furr on;
then the Liver and Intestines; the Trunk and Shoulders in another Part:
In three or four Animals the Loyns separated from the _Os Sacrum_; and in
the rest, the _Ischium_ and Thighs in one piece, with the Loyns; the Head
with its Furr, and lastly the Skin.
When all these several Parts were put together in their proper Order,
they manifestly made up, and appeared to belong to the above-mentioned
Animals: But the _Viscera_ were wanting in four or five of them. One
remarkable Circumstance is, that most of these Animals were Females, as
far as I could judge.
The Heart and Liver of those which we examined, appeared much larger than
usual, when compared with the _Lungs_ and _Intestines_ which belonged
to them; which on the contrary were extremely small. The _Cœcum_ and
_Colon_, which are remarkably large in Rabbets, appeared not to exceed in
bigness the other Intestines, and the spiral Structure of the _Cœcum_ was
not yet unfolded; the Stomach was in like manner much contracted, and its
_Pilorus_ very streight and narrow. I cou’d not discover, in any of the
Livers that I examin’d, the _Ductus Venosus_, nor the implantation of
the _Umbelical_ Vein in that Organ.
I open’d three or four of the Hearts, and found in every one of them
the _Foramen Ovale_, and the _Ductus Arteriosus_ fully open, the two
Trunks of the Descendant _Cava_ united at the right Auricle of the Heart,
agreeable to that Structure which is peculiar to natural Rabbets, and
some few other Animals.
The Flesh of these Creatures, particularly of that which I extracted, had
the smell of Rabbets just killed: and the Substance of their Bones were,
in all respects, like the Bones of _Fœtus_ Rabbets; in several of them
the _Epiphyses_ were separated from the Bones themselves.
All the Heads which I examined had their compleat number of Teeth, four
cutt before, and ten Grinders on each side, but they appeared not in the
least worn nor stained, as the Teeth of other Rabbets are by Mastication.
The Nails of the Paws were most of them exceedingly sharp.
The Skins were all produced, being dress’d in Allum; they were of several
Colours, as to their Furr, which was considerably long, and in one
particularly (which was the fifth Rabbet,) that part which cover’d the
Head was curled.
The Rabbet which I extracted weigh’d one and twenty ounces _Averdupoize_,
making an allowance for one of the Paws not yet come away, and part of
the _Viscera_ that were lost.
From all these Considerations I was fully convinced, that at the same
time that the external Appearance of these Animals was exactly like
such Creatures, as must inevitably undergo the Changes that happen to
adult Animals, by Food and Air, they carry’d within them the strongest
Marks of _Fœtus’s_, even by such parts as cannot exist in an Adult, and
without which a _Fœtus_ cannot possibly be supposed to live. This, I
think, proves in the strongest Terms possible that these Animals were
of a particular kind, and not bred in a natural Way; nor will there be
any doubt remaining (even with the least knowing in these matters) when
those parts which are subservient to the Circulation of the Blood, and
Nourishment between an adult Creature and its _Fœtus_ are brought away;
which I am fully satisfied must shortly happen, or, if retained, be the
Cause of this Woman’s Death.
All these Facts were verify’d before his Majesty, on _Saturday Nov._ the
26th, by the Anatomical Demonstration of the first, the third, fifth,
and ninth of these Animals, which were compared with the parts of two
natural Rabbets, the one of the Age of four Months, and the other of five
Days, Dr. _Steigerthal_ and Dr. _Tessier_ being present.
I shall with all convenient speed publish the Anatomy of these
Præternatural Rabbets, with their Figures taken from the Life, and
compared with the Parts of Rabbets of the same growth, that the
differences before mention’d may be fully understood.
In the mean while, I shall relate what appeared in the Dissection of
two Rabbets, which I performed in the Presence of Mr. _Molyneux_, the
very Day that we returned from _Guilford_; the one was of four Months
growth, and much of the Size of that which I had taken from the Woman,
the other was barely fifteen Days old. The Lungs of the larger were, as
nearly as I can judge, twenty times bigger in Capacity than those of the
præternatural one, and the Lungs of the smaller were at least eight times
the bigness of the fore-mentioned; both these were exceedingly different,
in Colour and Confidence, from those of the præternatural Rabbet.
The _Foramen Ovale_ of the smaller Rabbet was more than two thirds open,
and that in the larger was so far closed, as but just to admit a very
small Probe.
As to the Stomach and Intestines, the difference was so notoriously great
from those we had examined, that even in the sucking Rabbet, the Stomach
and _Cœcum_ were at least three times larger than those parts in the
præternatural ones.
I shall give no other Account of the Woman, than what I think pertinent
to this Subject: By the several Questions which I put to her, I was
informed, that she was born and bred at _Godlyman_; She seem’d to be of
a healthy strong Constitution, of a small size, and fair Complexion; of
a very stupid and sullen Temper: She can neither write nor read: She
has been married about six Years to one _Joshua Toft_, Junior, a poor
Journey-man Clothier at _Godlyman_, by whom she has had three Children.
The account she further gave of herself, was, that on the 23d of _April_
last, as she was weeding in a Field, she saw a Rabbet spring up near
her, after which she ran, with another Woman that was at work just by
her; this set her a longing for Rabbets, being then, as she thought,
five Weeks gone with Child; the other Woman perceiving she was uneasy,
charged her with longing for the Rabbet they cou’d not catch, but she
deny’d it: soon after another Rabbet sprung up near the same place, which
she endeavour’d likewise to catch. The same Night she dreamt that she was
in a Field with those two Rabbets in her Lap, and awaked 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. About seventeen Weeks after her longing,
she was taken with a Flooding and violent Cholick Pains, which made her
to miscarry of a Substance that she said was like a large lump of Flesh.
Three Weeks after this, she was again taken with a Flooding, and voided
another Substance like the former, but not so large. Notwithstanding
these Accidents, she did not perceive her self to grow less, but
continued with the Symptoms of a breeding Woman; insomuch that in the
beginning of _September_, as she was working in the Hop-Ground, the
Milk flow’d profusely from her Breasts; and as she had Children before,
she thought she felt very differently from what she used to do. That on
the 27th of _September_ last she was taken very ill in the Night, and
sent for her Mother in Law, who is a Midwife, and a neighbouring Woman,
at which time she voided somewhat, which she took to be the Lights and
Guts of a Pig, which her Husband carried to Mr. _Howard_, who some Days
afterwards came to her and delivered her of some parts of the Animal
first mention’d. After a Fortnight she was Churched, and thought all was
over with her. She told me that her Husband had not cohabited with her,
from the time of her first Miscarriage; and that after the first Rabbet
was brought away, she had one regular Menstrual Evacuation.
The Account Mr. _Howard_ gave was, in every material Circumstance,
the same with the Woman’s Relation; he said the Guts and Liver (as he
thought) of a Rabbet were brought to him, but he never knew or heard
of the Woman or her Friends till then, and that at first he took this
to be intended as an Imposition upon him: but was at last with much
Persuasion prevailed on to go to assist her at _Godlyman_; that he did
accordingly deliver her of part of the first Rabbet; that he attended
her at _Godlyman_, till she was delivered of the ninth Rabbet; but that
it being very inconvenient to attend her there, which made him neglect
all his other Business, he had brought her to _Guilford_ for better
Conveniency.
Mr. _Howard_ further related, that when she was delivered of one Rabbet,
another was immediately felt in her Belly, struggling with such Violence,
that the Motion thereof cou’d be sensibly felt and seen: That this Motion
has sometimes been so strong, as to move the Bed-Clothes, and that it
has lasted for twenty and above thirty Hours together. This particular
Fact was unanimously agreed on, and attested by most of the People
at _Guilford_, who have had the Curiosity to go to see her, and was
confirmed to Mr. _Molyneux_ and my self by above ten different Persons,
who all seemed to be indifferent in this Matter.
Mr. _Howard_ further told me, that, during this Motion, she was always
free from Pain, and chearful; but that immediately upon the ceasing of
it, she grew sick, and soon began to perceive her Labour-Pains drawing
near; that upon her first Pains, the Bones of the Animal were sensibly
heard to snap, and break by the violent convulsive Motions of the
_Uterus_: This last Circumstance was likewise related by the same Persons
that attested the former. He further added, that she had four breakings
of Waters in the coming of the Rabbets, although in no great Quantity.
On _Wednesday_ the 23d Instant, I set out again for _Guilford_, with Mr.
_D’Anteny_, being resolved to bring the Woman to Town, if there was
any further prospect of more Rabbets. We arrived there at one in the
Afternoon, and we found Mr. _Howard_ standing at his Door, who told us,
that she had been delivered of two more Rabbets since I had seen her, and
that he hoped all was over, being he did not perceive in the _Uterus_
any Motion as usual. I visited her several times that Day, and proceeded
in every respect as before; her Pains, which, when I saw her the first
Time, were mixed with intervals of Quiet and Rest, now were constant
and fixed on the right Side of her Belly; her Pulse was more irregular;
she described her Pain as if very coarse brown Paper was tearing from
within her. Toward eight a Clock that Evening she voided a Piece of one
of the Membranes of a _Placenta_, rolled up like Parchment; when it was
extended, it measured about six Inches over. The next Morning, as I was
packing up some of the Rabbets to bring to Town with me, Mr. _Howard_
was sent for over, and Mr. _D’Anteny_, Dr. _Hampe_, and my self attended
him. We found her in exquisite Torture, and after seven or eight Minutes,
she was again disburthen’d of a Membrane, in Structure, Shape and Size
exactly like the former. This was the first part that I saw come from her
with some effusion of Blood. She did not seem in the least relieved after
this Operation, her Pulse continued irregular, her Tongue white, and her
Urine deeply stained with a _Mucus_, and livid _Blood_.
Mr. _Ahlers_ having been at _Guilford_, by his Majesty’s Order, (as Mr.
_Howard_ told us) to enquire into the Truth of this Fact, was fully
convinced of it, as he himself declared, having assisted the greatest
part of _Sunday_ the 20th instant, at the Delivery of some of the 16th
Rabbet, which he brought to Town with him. But as on this Occasion
his Behaviour has been represented here different from what it was at
_Guilford_, I cannot better vindicate that Gentleman’s Character, than
by subjoyning the following Affidavits, which were taken in the presence
of Mr. _D’Anteny_, and Doctor _Hampe_. And that the Truth, so far as it
relates to this Point, may be known, I think he is strictly obliged, in
Justice to the Publick, forthwith to give an Account of what he saw and
transacted there; as I here have done.
_London_, Monday _Nov. 28. 1726_.