Lot 93: [ Prints ]

* Faber (John 1695-1756). Mary Tofts of Godelman the pretended Rabbit Breeder, n.d., c. 1726, mezzotint on laid after John Laguerre, thread margins, 355x255 mm Mary Tofts was an English woman from Godalming in Surrey who created one of the great medical scandals of her day. Having miscarried, she then claimed to be able to give birth to parts of animals, especially rabbits. A local doctor called John Howard was called to investigate and upon delivering several animal parts summoned other physicians. The matter come to the attention of Nathaniel St. Andre, surgeon to the Royal household and physician to King George I. St. Andre examined Mary Tofts and pronounced that she was indeed giving birth to parts of rabbits. The king remained fascinated but sceptical and sent another doctor, Cyriacus Ahlers to examine Tofts. Ahlers was not convinced and Tofts was subjected to a long and thorough examination. Unable to produce any more rabbits she eventually confessed to the hoax and was subsequently imprisoned fo fraud. The general public had followed the case with prurient fascination and the revelation of the hoax caused widespread mockery of the medical profession and several careers were destroyed as a result of the scandal. Several scathing caricatures were produced in the wake of the scandal with William Hogarth being notably critical of the stupidity and gullability of the medical profession. (1) Illustrations Available

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