A narrative of the most extraordinary delivery of Mary Toft ... / With a preface by a man-midwife.

  • St. André, Nathanael, 1680-1776.
Date:
1774
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A narrative of the most extraordinary delivery of Mary Toft ... / With a preface by a man-midwife. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    8/52
    r »-• iv PREFACE. '.J ming. fo enquire into it; but as Mr. Ahlers could make neither Head nor Tail of the Matter, he re- ? turned to London ; and in Confequence of his j Report, the King was gracioully pleafed to put i Matters paft all Doubt, by fending down his own Anatom iff. Dr. St. Andre : Notwithftanding this, j there were many People then, (but ! hope there will be none now) who were weak enough to doubt ; ] the Fa61;; but fureiy, when they fee the refpedlable : Names of Mr. Moiineux, Dr. St. Andre, Dr. Howard fmy Brother Midwife) and, I might add, my old Friend Sir Richard Maningham's, (for he wrote in Confirmation of the Faft,) certainly it muft convince every rational unprejudiced Man, who pofTefTes a Grain of Phiiofophy, or common Senfe, That Mary Toft not only longed for Rdbbits, but that fhe conceived Rabbits, and was delivered of Rabbits. It may indeed be obje^f- ed, that the poor Woman was never delivered of a perfed compleat Rabbit; but neverthelefs; if the Legs were produced at one Time, the Head at a fecond, the Body at a third, and, the Skin at a fourth ; and thefe feveral Parts put together, would make up compleat Rabbits, it is all one ; for how often are we obliged to bore the Cranium of a Child, and to fqueeze out the Brains, in order to reduce the Head, or to take off an Arm or a Leg,' to effef^ a Delivery : All the Difference here is, that Nature did the Violence in this Cafe, (it be¬ ing only with a Parcel of Rabbits) which-we are forced to do, when we handle our Fellow- Creafures. Some