The Rabbit Died: Difference between revisions

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In the long-gone days before fifteen-minute home pregnancy tests made it obsolete, the only way a woman had to find out she was pregnant -- at least before the physiological effects made it obvious -- was the classic "rabbit test". Properly known as the "Friedman test", this involved injecting a female rabbit with a woman's urine, and then examining its ovaries a few days later to see if they had enlarged from the presence of the hormone [[w:Human chorionic gonadotropin|hGC]] in it.
In the long-gone days before fifteen-minute home pregnancy tests made it obsolete, the only way a woman had to find out she was pregnant -- at least before the physiological effects made it obvious -- was the classic "rabbit test". Properly known as the "Friedman test", this involved injecting a female rabbit with a woman's urine, and then examining its ovaries a few days later to see if they had enlarged from the presence of the hormone [[w:Human chorionic gonadotropin|hGC]] in it.


"[[The Rabbit Died]]" became a [[Stock Phrase]] for a positive -- that is, pregnant -- result.<ref>However, since it was necessary to dissect the rabbit to examine its ovaries, it ''always'' died.</ref> Although it was replaced in the 1960s by immunoassays that didn't involve animal testing, "the rabbit test" and "the rabbit died" remained in the popular lexicon for several decades afterward. Today in the early 21st century it is almost but not quite a [[Forgotten Trope]], still hanging on despite all the variations on the different ways various home pregnancy tests announce their results have tried to displace it over the years. It can still be heard now and then, though, usually in a humorous context, as well as in period works, of course.
"'''The Rabbit Died'''" became a [[Stock Phrase]] for a positive -- that is, pregnant -- result.<ref>However, since it was necessary to dissect the rabbit to examine its ovaries, it ''always'' died.</ref> Although it was replaced in the 1960s by immunoassays that didn't involve animal testing, "the rabbit test" and "the rabbit died" remained in the popular lexicon for several decades afterward. Today in the early 21st century it is almost but not quite a [[Forgotten Trope]], still hanging on despite all the variations on the different ways various home pregnancy tests announce their results have tried to displace it over the years. It can still be heard now and then, though, usually in a humorous context, as well as in period works, of course.


Not to be confused with ''[[Doctor Rabbit]]'' or anything involving ''[[Bugs Bunny]]''.
Not to be confused with ''[[Doctor Rabbit]]'' or anything involving ''[[Bugs Bunny]]''.
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