POTATO. 575 
“Ti pills were pleasant,” says an old adage, “they would need 
no gilding.” Dr. Johnson likewise was an ardent lover of 
London. 
PORK. (See Bacon). 
POTATO. 
Our invaluable Potato, which enters so largely into the dietary 
of all classes, claims consideration here chiefly as regards its 
curative uses, and medicinal capabilities. It belongs to the 
natural order of Solanaceous plants, so called because of their 
sedative properties tending “‘solare,” to lull pain, though poison- 
ous. The underground tubers, or starch stores, of the Potato 
plant are its edible parts, whilst the stalks, leaves, and green 
berries share the narcotic, and noxious attributes of this Night- 
shade (solanaceous) tribe. No daylight reaches the underground 
tubers so as to develop any poisonous tendencies therein. But 
the young shoots derive solanin from the early tubers; and in 
spring time young green Potatoes, if exposed to daylight, are 
made poisonous thereby, and have a disagreeable taste. There 
are two sorts of Potato tubers,—the red, and the white. A 
roasted Potato takes two hours to digest; a boiled one three 
hours and a half. Chemically the Potato contains citric acid, 
like that of the lemon, this being of admirable use against scurvy, 
or rickets in children; likewise salts of potash, which have a 
similar beneficial action; also phosphoric acid, yielding phos- 
phorus in a quantity less only than what is afforded by the 
apple, and by wheat. It is of the first importance that the 
potash salts should be retained by the Potato during its cooking, 
and therefore the tubers must be steamed in their jackets ; 
else, if peeled, and then steamed, they lose respectively 7 and 5 
per cent of potash, and phosphoric acid; if boiled after peeling 
they lose as much as 33 per cent of potash, and 23 per cent of 
phosphoric acid. It is evident that the tough skin of the Potato 
must resist the escape of the potash salts into the water, though 
it may not completely prevent it. The bursting of the skin 
oceurs only at quite the latter stage of the cookery. Potatoes 
are deficient in albuminoids, and phosphates. Small Potatoes 
were Athenians’ “ meat.” But, as regards Potatoes of good 
quality, and skilfully cooked, “ picture to yourself the ‘ ball of 
