Dr. A.W. (Alvin Wood) Chase (1817-1885), of Ann Arbor, Mich., was a giant of the patent-medicine field. Though he had no medical degree, having learned his trade by apprenticing to another doctor, he made up for his lack of formal training with a healthy dose of entrepreneurship. Besides Dr. A. W. Chase’s Every-Day Mouth Wash, the good doctor’s remedies included Dr. A. W. Chase’s Ointment, Dr. A. W. Chase’s Catarrh Powder and Dr. A. W. Chase’s Tonic (which was laxative pills).
However, Dr. Chase was best known as an author. In 1863, his first book, Dr. Chase’s Recipes or Information for Anybody, was published. This book was intended for people who either couldn’t afford a doctor or preferred to treat their own ailments. Since doctors in those days were expensive and usually not particularly skilled, the book sold over seven hundred thousand copies in the thirteen years following its first appearance.
Here is a sample recipe from Dr. Chase’s book. It recommended that sprains be treated by boiling toads:
For sprains, strains, lame-back rheumatism, caked breasts, caked udders, Etc. Good sized live toads, 4 in number; put into boiling water and cook very soft; then take them out and boil the water down to a 1/2 pt. and add fresh churned, unsalted butter 1 lb. and simmer together; at the last add tincture of arnica 2 ozs. This was obtained from an old Physician, who thought more of it then any other prescription in his possession. Some persons might think it hard on toads, but you could not kill them quicker any other way.
Yes, I can see why some persons might think that this treatment is hard on toads.