Transactions of the London Horticultural Soctefj/. 437 



cheese, with the produce of their gardens; and tea was unknown to them. 

 About sixt3-six years ago, before the potato was introduced into theii* 

 gardens, agues had been so exceedingly prevalent, that the periods in 

 which they, or their families, had been afflicted with that disorder, were 

 the eras to which I usually heard them refei' in speaking of past events ; 

 and I recollect being cautioned by them frequently not to stand exposed 

 to the sun in May, lest I should get an ague. The potato was then cul- 

 tivated in small quantities in the gardens of gentlemen, but it was not 

 thought to afford wholesome nutriment, and was supposed by many to 

 possess deleterious qualities. The prejudice of all parties, however, dis- 

 appeared so rapidly, that within ten years the potato had almost wholly 

 driven the cabbage from the garden of the cottagers. Within the same 

 period, ague, the previously prevalent disease of the country, disappeared; 

 and no other species of disease became prevalent. I adduce this fact, as 

 evidence only, that the introduction of the potato was not injurious to 

 the health of the peasantry at that period ; but whether its production 

 was, or was not, instrumental in causing the disappearance of ague, I will 

 not venture to give an opinion. I am, however, confident, that neither 

 draining the soil (for that was not done), nor any change in the general 

 habits of the peasantry, had taken place, to which their improved health 

 could be attributed. Bread is well known to constitute the chief food of 

 the French peasantry. They are a very temperate race of men ; and 

 they possess the advantages of a very fine and dry climate. Yet the 

 duration of life amongst them is very short, scarcely exceeding two thirds 

 of the average duration of life in England ; and in some districts much 

 less. Dr. Hawkins, in his Medical Statistics, states, upon the authority of 

 M. Villerme that, in the department of Indre, " one fourth of the children 

 born die within the first year, and half between fifteen and twenty ; and 

 that three fourths are dead within the space of fifty years. Having 

 enquired of a very eminent French physiologist, M. Dutrochet, who is 

 resident in the department of Indre, the cause of this extraordinary mor- 

 tality, he stated it to be their food, which consisted chiefly of bread ; and 

 of which he calculated every adult peasant to eat two pounds a day. 

 And he added, without having received any leading question from me, or 

 in any degree knowing my opinion upon the subject, that if the peasantry 

 of his country would substitute (which they could do) a small quantity of 

 animal food, with potatoes, instead of so much bread, they would live 

 much longer, and with much better health. I am inclined to pay much 

 deference to M. Dutrochet's opinion ; for he combines the advantages of a 

 regular medical education with great acuteness of mind, and I believe him 

 to be as well acquainted with the general laws of organic life as any per- 

 son living : and I think his opinion deserves some support, from the well- 

 known fact, that the duration of human life has been much greater in 

 England during the last sixty years, than in the preceding period of the 

 same duration. Bread made of wheat, when taken in large quantities, has 

 probably, more than any other article of food in use in this country', the 

 effect of overloading the alimentarj' canal ; and the general practice of the 

 French physicians points out the prevalence of diseases thence arising 

 amongst their patients. I do not, however, think, or mean to say, that 

 potatoes alone are proper food for any human being : but I feel confident, 

 that four ounces of meat, with as large a quantity of good potatoes as 

 would wholly take away the sensation of hunger, would afford, during 

 twenty-four hours, more efficient nutriment than could be derived from 

 bread in any quantity, and might be obtained at much less expense." 



Mr. Knight then proceeds to give an account of the result 

 of his experiments in raising new varieties of potato from 



F F 3 



