The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1896-01-01
The Potato as a Daily Diet.
BY John eILMER SPEED.


BY JOHN GILMER SPEED.
The common potato, which was not
used at all in this country as human
food till we'll along in the second half
of the last century, is now so much
matter of course in every American
household that it appears on every
table at least once day, aud in many
houses at every meal Indeed many
persons look upon the potato as impor-
tant as bread and quite as necessary.
The great popularity of the potato ls
due to several causes-its negative
flavor. its cheapuess and its reputation
for nutritive value and wholesomeness.
The first two causes are all in its favor.
We tire of even the most delicious
things that have very decided flavor.
And its cheapness is such that at al.
most every restaurant it is served with
each dish of meat as matter of course
and without extra charge. Considering
these things it is great pity that the
potato does not possess the other virtues
With which it is generally credited.
Indeed the potato as food is not nearly
so valuable as We have very generally
esteemed it to be. 1t is quite deficient
in nitrogen, and as sole diet is there
fore unsuitable. 1t is hard to digest
and therefore should be partaken Of
very sparingly by all save those who
live active out-of-d door lives.
When a baby gets old aud strong
enough to take little solid food, about
the FIRST thing prepared for the little ore
is mashed potato with little gravy
over it. The good mother is sure that
this is extremely harmless and whole
some. More danger does lurk in
Welsh rarebit, it is true, and the taste
of toasted cheese would probably not
be as grateful to an infants palate, but
it may be that there is more lasting
harm in the potato than in the cheese.
The potato provokes our great national
ailment, dyspepsia, and the sooner the
consumption of the mealy tubers be-
gins the sooner will the dread fangs of
the dyspepsia appear To be sure there
are some digestive organs so strong
that the fortunate owners of them can
eat anything and everything with i'm
punity. The eating of potatoes will
not bring dyspepsia to such as these,
but even to them potatoes may be dan
gerous. That hidoons uric acid which
provokes the rheumatism aud the gout,
these dread diseases which attack the
strong with a greater ferocity than
the weak. is mere surely produced
by potato diet than by any other. If
these things be so, conservative and
health.loviog persons will not need auy
labored argument to convince them that
thew ought to be moderate in their use
OF potatoes.
The early naturalists differed greatly
as to the origin of the potato. In
England it was held to be a native Of
Virginia. and ir Spain it was said to
have originated 10 Peru. Modero
opinion holds that it is indigenous to
the elevated tablelands Of Chill, Peru,
Bolivia, Costa Rica, Mexico and south
western United States. 1t probably got
to Virginia by the hands Of some early
Spanish explorers 1t is certain. bow
ever, that it was not cultivated in Vir.
ginia till far into the eighteenth cea-
tury, and then it was introduced in the
American Colonies on account of the
esteem in which it was held in Europe.
In its cultivation it has been very great.
ly improved within fifty years. and the
big mealy potatoes with which we re-
gale ourselves unduly are very different
from the watery tubers our grandfath
ers grew. This reminds me that there
is an amusing anachronism in the play
Mr.. Joseph Jefferson has made classic.
Grip Van Winkle," it will be recalled,
when he returned to the town of Fall
ing Waters after his long sleep, said of
his surly successor, "Give him cold
potato and let him 60" Potatoes we're
not in general use in America at that
time thatcold ones should be in every
house as a matter of course But they
are now, and pity It's It's SO. l am
not potato prohibitionist only
counsel their very moderate use except
by those who work actively out-of-dcors.
BY students, by Office workers, by
women in all the ordinary employnents
they should be eaten of most sparingly,
and by invalids, especially those Of
deranged digestion, they shoald not be
touched at all. The skillful cooks have
devised many ways to make them at
tractive; and for this We should be