What is Mary Toft?
{{Infobox Person |name = Mary Toft |image = Mary toft 1726.jpg|alt=A engraving based on a painting of a young woman in poor clothing and a bonnet, sitting on a chair, holding a rabbit in her lap. Her right elbow is supported by a table as she looks to the left, a neutral expression on her face. |caption = <small>Mary Toft, in an engraving based on a painting by John Laguerre in 1726</small> |birth_date = c.&nbsp;1701 |birth_place = |birth_name = Mary Denyer |death_date = 1763 (aged 62) |death_place = |other_names = |known_for = Medical hoax |occupation = |nationality = [[England|English]]/[[United Kingdom|British]] }} '''Mary Toft''' (née Denyer) (c.&nbsp;1701–1763), also called '''Mary Tofts''', was an English woman from [[Godalming]], [[Surrey]]. In 1726 she tricked doctors into believing that she had given birth to [[rabbit]]s. She became famous, and was taken to [[London]]. There she was examined by royal [[Medical doctor|doctor]]s. Later she confessed, and was sent to [[prison]]. Toft became pregnant in 1726, but later [[miscarriage|miscarried]]. She had developed a strong interest in a rabbit she had seen while working, and claimed to have given birth to parts of animals. Local [[surgeon]] John Howard was called to see if it was true, and upon delivering several animal parts he told other important doctors. The event came to the attention of [[Nathaniel St. André]], surgeon to the [[Royal Household]] of King [[George I of Great Britain]]. St.&nbsp;André checked further into the event and decided that Toft was telling the truth. The king also sent surgeon [[Cyriacus Ahlers]] to see Toft, but Ahlers did not believe it. By now quite famous, Toft was brought to London and was studied at length. She was watched closely. She produced no more rabbits, and eventually confessed to the [[hoax]] and was sent to [[prison]] as a [[fraud]]. The public learned of the fact that the doctors had been fooled, and this created panic in the medical profession. Several important surgeons' [[caree