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.