The 19th-century quack medicine that became a frozen dinner staple
In short: Discover how a doctor's eccentric obsession with beef transformed from a bizarre medical treatment into one of America's most iconic meat dishes.
In the 19th century, Dr. James Henry Salisbury championed an all-meat diet, prescribing two to four pounds of beef daily to treat conditions ranging from tuberculosis to mental illness. His methods were extreme; he even locked six grown men in his home to force-feed them beans. This advocacy launched one of America's first fad diets and resulted in a bestselling book.
The dish eventually moved from quack medicine to Civil War field hospitals and wartime renaming before becoming a staple of the TV dinner era. Salisbury died unaware that his name would eventually be attached to 10 million frozen trays sold in the first year of their release.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Why is this hunk of meat SO popular?
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