MENTS IN THE TREATMENT AND PRESERVATION OF A CONSTITUENT PART OF THE POTATO
Year: 1855

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by James Torbitt at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 1st May 1855.
I, JAMES TORBITT, of Belfast, in the County of Antrim, Ireland, Winc
Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPECVI-
MENTS IN THE TREATMENT AND PRESERVATION OF A CONSTITUENT PART OF THE
POTATO" to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in the more efficient utilization of the potato by
cheap, simple, and effective method of preserving the whole or
almost the whole of its life-sustaining powers. Those powers, leaving out of
account a small proportion of various matters, are composed of two great
or principal parts, cellular tissue or fibrine, and granular substance or starch;
and one only of those parts, the starch, has hitherto been effectively pre-
served. It (the
It (the starch) is an element of respiration, and incapable of
supporting life; and the fibrine is its complement, an element of nutrition
identical with animal fibrine, adapted to the formation of blood, and orga-
nised muscular tissues; and the two combined are capable of supporting
animal life. And this Invention, strictly speaking, consists in the preservation
of the fibrine, as well as and together with the starch; the fibrine not having
hitherto been effectively preserved, either by the processes herein-after indi-
cated, or by any other practically useful processes; in other words, the farina
is an element of respiration, and has already been preserved the fibrine is
an element of nutrition, and has not hitherto been effectively preserved; and

page_text: the sum of their powers is the capacity of maintenance of animal life; and
this Invention consists in more efficiently utilizing them by preserving them
both. This Invention, in effecting the preservation of the fibrine in addition
to the farina, places the potato on a level with the cereals in their respective
capabilities and facilities for being stored, and enables the surplus produce of
a luxuriant crop to be reserved to meet a subsequent scarcity; and herein con-
sists the value or part of the value of this Invention. This Invention also
involves or includes the advantage of the condensation of the nutritive power
of the potato into about one-fourth of its original volumne, thereby placing it
on a level with the cereals in their respective abilities to bear the costs of
carriage. This Invention also involves or includes the advantage of rendering
it practicable to use a larger proportion than could hitherto have been done
of the nutritive power of the potato, in combination with wheaten flour and
other farnaceous substances in the manufacture of bread; this result flowing
from the fact that the solanine and colouring matter are more completely
rejected, washed away, and got rid of by the herein-after described processes
than they are by the cominon method of boiling the potatoe in water. In fact,
the fibrine and farina are obtained almost entirely pure, tasteless, and inodorous,
and capable of being combined with other edible substances, either in the
proportions in which they naturally occur, or in other proportions. This
Invention also involves or includes the advantage of reducing the potato to
such a form, that of powder or dry granules and fibres, that it is incapable of
injury by mechanical means, such as bruises, to which the raw potatoe is
subject in transit from place to place. This Invention further consists in the
preservation by drying, grinding, and storing of the fibrine obtained in the
manufacture of potato starch, which fibrine, or so called "refuse," has not
hitherto been so preserved or procured in a condition capable of long
preservation.
The processes by which I propose to effect the aforesaid Invention are,
first, washing away with cold water the earth or clay which adheres to the
surface of the potato. Second, grating or reducing to a pulp the washed
potato. Third, washing or mixing the pulp so obtained with cold water,
allowing it (the pulp) to subside or form a deposit at the bottom of the utensil,
and afterwards removing the water; the water will be found mixed with
colouring matter and the poisonous base solanine, and this process is to be
repeated as often or as long as the water extracts from the pulp any con-
siderable quantity of colouring matter or solanine. Fourth, placing the pulp
in a sieve of suitable description, and pouring on it cold water, and moving or
stirring it, and adding water until the starch is washed through the sieve into

page_text: a recipient vessel, and the fibrine is left remaining in the sieve. Fifth,
allowing the starch to subside or form a deposit at the bottom of the recipient
vessel, and afterwards removing the water. Sixth, drying the starch in a
suitable kiln, and storing it up in suitable packages; which completes the
processes as regards the starch, the product being an element of respiration
capable of preservation for an indefinite number of years. Seventh, returning
to the fibrine remaining in the sieve from process fourth, and drying it on a
suitable kiln, and storing it up for future use in suitable bags or packages;
which completes the processes as regards the fibrine, the product being an
element of nutrition adapted to the formation of blood and the organised
muscular tissues, and capable of preservation for an indefinite number of years.
The six first processes are the same as those used in the manufacture of
potato starch; and the seventh, in which resides the novelty and value of this
Invention, consists in applying to the fibrine the sixth process, that of drying
and storing over for future use, which has never hitherto been done, but has
been applied to the starch only. The machinery used in the manufacture of
potato starch is suitable for use in the foregoing processes, but I do not bind
myself to the use of this machinery only. Eighth, or additional process for
rendering the preserved fibrine more saleable or suitable for making bread in
combination with other edible substances: this process consists in grinding
to meal or powder the preserved fibrine, and the machinery now in use in
grinding oats is suitable for the purpose; but I do not bind myself to the use of
this machinery only.