POTATO. 



759 



parts ; and, 3d, Soluble mucilage, 5 parts. The 

 potato also contains a very small portion of potash, 

 and a few other substances, such as oxides of iron 

 and manganese, common salt, &c., but in such 

 minute quantities as not to affect the general state- 

 ment. An essential oil likewise exists in the po- 

 tnto, which gives its taste, but this is also very 

 trifling. The composition of the potato root is 

 extremely similar to that of the seeds of wheat 

 and maize, though, from the dissimilarity in taste 

 and external appearance, this would not be at first 

 suspected ; and hence arises the corresponding fit 

 ness of all three for food. The principal differ- 

 ence between wheat and potatoes consists in the 

 presence of a substance called gluten in wheat, 

 which strongly resembles animal glue, and which is 

 the cause that wheat, rye, and barley are the only 

 kinds of grain of which loaf bread can be made ; 

 this gluten giving tenacity and firmness, while it at 

 the same time promotes the fermentation in the 

 making of bread, as well as gives it its taste. In 

 potatoes, oats, beans, peas, rice, maize, buckwheat, 

 &c., this is entirely wanting, and therefore they 

 must be mixed with a certain quantity of flour be- 

 fore they can be made infb bread. 



There is perhaps no species of food that can be 

 consumed in a greater variety of ways than the 

 potato. Among us the only modes in use are three 

 or four, such as boiling, roasting, or frying ; but 

 our French neighbours, who surpass us and all the 

 world in everything relating to cookery, at least so 

 far as infinite variety is concerned, have several 

 other ways of preparing this root. A French gen- 

 tleman invited to dinner thirty-two of his friends, 

 promising to each a different dish, and yet all com- 

 posed of the same material. They assembled, 

 found before each seat a cover, und, upon taking 

 their seats, discovered that each guest had really a 

 different dish, though all formed of eggs ! One of 

 the company immediately repeated the invitation 

 to all the persons present for next day, when he 

 promised to regale them in a similar manner, on 

 another single substance metamorphosed into thirty- 

 two different forms. They came and dined very 

 comfortably on thirty two distinct and palatable 

 dishes, all composed of potatoes ! Boiling is the 

 simplest, cheapest, and perhaps most nutritious 

 mode of cooking the potato. When boiled, the 

 nourishing substances contained in it are taken into 

 the stomach, more intimately diffused through 

 about three times their weight of water, than is 

 the case with any artificial mixture of the potato- 

 meal and water. Hence the easiness of digestion 

 and lightness of this root above almost all other 

 farinaceous substances equally nutritive; while its 

 cheapness, and the ease with which it can be 

 cooked, are great arguments in its favour with the 

 great body of the people. Every one knows that, 

 simple as the process of boiling a potato appears, 

 there is really a peculiar art or dexterity required ; 

 and it is often remarked, "that good potatoes are 

 less frequently to be seen at the tables of those who 

 keep professed cooks than iii the wooden bowl of 

 the peasant." But the fact is, that in the one case 

 there is only one dish to attend to, whereas in the 

 other there are many, and that the potatoes of the 

 cottager are consumed hot from the fire, as soon as 

 they are ready, which is not the case in the other 

 instance. Next to boiling, roasting the potato is the 

 mode most employed ; but this is exceptionable, as 

 the root retains in it much of that black unwhole- 

 some liquid already mentioned. This resides prin- 



cipally in the skin, and hence those persons who 

 have been tempted to eat the roasted skin, have 

 been often seriously disordered by it. Custom, 

 however, is found to render the stomach callous to 

 its effects, as is evident from the practice of the 

 children of the Irish peasantry. Throughout all 

 Ireland it is usual to allow the little children in 

 every cottage to roast potatoes for their own use, 

 as often they please, in the turf ashes. 



The first manufactured ingredient derived from 

 the potato was starch. This substance, formerly 

 obtained from wheat alone, was first discovered in 

 the island of Chios, in the Grecian Archipelago, 

 and was in common use among the Romans. The 

 potato starch is made by the simple process of 

 grating the roots into clear spring water, when it, 

 separates from the other particles, and sinks to the 

 bottom. It is a very remarkable circumstance, that 

 in frosted potatoes, it is only the juice, or liquid 

 part of the root that is affected, and not at all the 

 farina or flour, which may be equally well extract- 

 ed, and will be found as white and good as if it had 

 not been frozen, provided the loot is not quite 

 rotted, which in process of time it will become. 

 The following singular illustration of this took 

 place in 1794 : A field of potatoes at Camstradden, 

 in Dumbartonshire, was laid under water, by a sud- 

 den rise of Lochlomond. A quantity of these was 

 got up, and in part brought home. Being wet, 

 they were laid on the floors of out-houses to dry ; 

 but in a few days they were so spoiled as to be un- 

 fit for feeding cattle. A heap of the potatoes was 

 left on the ground ; when turned over next spring, 

 some starch was found at the bottom, which ex- 

 cited a suspicion, that though the root had been 

 affected by the frost, yet that the flour had re- 

 mained uninjured. This was found to be the case ; 

 and a quantity of the farina was collected from the 

 heap, part of which was distributed in Dumbarton- 

 shire, and the remainder was brought to Stirling, 

 in 1804. As arrow- root had become fashionable 

 about that time, it was often used as a substitute ; 

 and many eat of it without knowing the difference. 

 In 1825 a dish of it was made with milk, and two 

 gentlemen who supped on it, declared that they 

 would not have known it from arrow-root. A 

 specimen of this same flour of 1794 was sent to 

 Sir John Sinclair in 1826, and it seemed as good as 

 any produced from the potatoes of that year, after 

 having been kept for above thirty years. Potato- 

 flour is very easily converted into jelly, in the same 

 way as arrow-root, by gradually pouring into it 

 some boiling water, and stirring the mixture about; 

 and in this shape it is strongly recommended as food 

 for invalids, sometimes being taken with a little 

 milk and sugar. With the addition and thorough 

 mixture of a little wheaten flour, or ground rice, 

 while it is boiling, it forms a pleasant and nourish- 

 ing diet either with or without milk. It is well 

 known that the manufacture of bread, even when 

 conducted by the most skilful and experienced 

 bakers, is sometimes very difficult. From the 

 various casualties to which wheaten flour has been 

 liable, from disease in the crop, or bad management 

 in the keeping or grinding of the grain, it fre- 

 quently loses some of its most essential qualities, 

 and causes the bread, in defiance of the baker's 

 art, to contract a sourness, which is both disagree- 

 able to the taste, and prejudicial to health. For- 

 tunately a remedy has been discovered of late 

 years ; that of mixing with the flour a small quan- 

 tity of potato-starch, previously converted into a 



