In the past, for several years, an urban legend spread that involved the correlation between rabbits and pregnancy tests. The misunderstanding meant that, to verify the conception of a woman, it would have been enough to inject the urine of the presumed pregnant woman into the small animal. In the event of death, the sweet wait was confirmed. Obviously, this is an inaccuracy founded on who knows what hypothesis or popular belief.
However, in 1920, it was discovered that if the woman's urine contained hCG (hormonal marker of pregnant women), the injected rabbit would undergo certain changes in the ovaries. Nevertheless, to be able to inspect the organs, the creature should have been killed anyway; a useless sacrifice, given that the animal's meat would not have been destined for human consumption.
On the other hand, some later revisions allowed to inspect the injected rabbit ovaries without killing it.
As if this were not enough, a very similar test was proposed which involved the injection of urine into frogs belonging to the Genus Xenopus ; these, in theory, under the influence of the hCG, should have spawned in a programmed manner.
Fortunately, animal tests for verifying human pregnancy have been rendered obsolete by the latest methods, undoubtedly less expensive, simpler and ethically correct.
