OBSERVATIONS 
ON SUCH 
Nutritive vegetables 
AS MAY BE SUBSTITUTED XN THE 
PLACE OP 
ORDINARY FOOD, 
[ Price ir. 6d. j OBSERVATIONS 
ON SUCH 
NUTRITIVE VEGETABLES 
AS MAY BE SUBSTITUTED IN TH-B' 
PLACE OF 
ORDINARY FOOD, 
N TIMPS O SCARCITY. 
EXTRACTED FROM THE FRENCH OF 
M. PARMENTIER. 
Fas (Ji <vel ab hojle doceri. 
LONDON: 
PRINTED FOR J. MURRAY, FLEET-STRE|T. 
MDCCLXXXIII. PREFACE 
PY THE TRANSLATOR. 
the prefent period of fear city and 
dearnefs of provijions, when the com- 
mon people have been already excited to dif- 
content and tumult, by the difrefs that has fa 
foon begun to prefs upon them, and by the prof- 
petd of the fill deeper difrefs in which they 
will probably be involved before another har- 
vef} and when, befdes a great army and 
fleet, diflant iflands are to be maintained out 
of flores, perhaps little more than fujjicient for 
home-confumption; it is incumbent upon every 
man to propofe publicly whatever means he 
may fuppofe likely to avert or alleviate the 
impending calamities. 
‘There are perhaps few publications better 
Calculated to promote fo deflrable an end than PREFACE. 
the EJfay ofM. Parmentier, which gain* 
ed the prize propofed by the Academy of Be- 
fanqonfn 1777; and appeared in 1780, con* 
fiderahly enlarged and improved, under the 
title of “ Recherches fur les vegetaux nour- 
rijj'ans qui dans le temps de difette, &cA 
The author is advantageoufy k?iown by fe- 
ver al works, in which the fkill of the Pbilofo- 
pher is united with the benevolence of the Citi- 
zen of the World: his Treatife on the Chef- 
nut, his Per fell Baker, his Oeconomical Ef- 
fay on Potatoes, and the book above-mention- 
ed, are fo many infances of the ardour and 
fuccefs with which he has laboured in the 
fervice of the mofi numerous, and therefore the 
mofi valuable clafs offociety. 
The frequent andfevere attacks of fear city, 
and even of famine, felt in France, render re- 
fear ches like M. Parmentier’j an objebl of 
the highefl national importance ; and, unhap- 
pily, the prefent year has afforded ample proof, 
that no fertility of foil, or fkill in hujbandry. PREF A C E 
can abfolutely fecure any nation againji fuch 
differs. 
As the IVirk from 'which the following 
ohfervations are extracted, has been well re* 
cehed by the judicious and humane in every 
fart of Europe, it will probably be afked why 
it was not publijhed entire, rather than in 
its prefent mutilated form ? “The ahfwer is 
not difficult, and it is hoped will be f itisfac- 
tor y. The author has entered into fo many 
minute invefiigations, both chemical and phy- 
fiological, as to render his Work not only too 
bulky for thofe for whofe benefit the prefent 
publication is defigned, but above their com- 
prehenfion: fuch details can be interefling to 
the phyfician and philofopher only, whereas 
general utility is the object of the following 
pages; in this view, the articles relating to 
the matter of nutriment—to the confiituenf 
parts of corn—the numerous objections to Po- 
tatoes, and bread of Potatoes, with the 
anfwers—befides many others, have been omit- 
ted: and with the part that has been re- 
tained, confiderable liberties have been taken ; via 
PREFACE. 
for every paragraph and fentence, which did 
not convey fome ufefnl information, has been 
fuppreffed. 
Whether any of the preparations pointed 
cut by Mi Parmentier may be ufeful to 
the navy or whether they deferve to be enu- 
merated among thofe vijionary projects, which 
every day obtrude upon the attention of thofe 
whofill high a7id important ofiices in the fate, 
let the minifiers of the marine determine. 
Should Potatoes be found, on further trial, to 
pojfefs the antifcorbutic virtues of late attri- 
buted to them, they will become an ohjebi 
hardly lefs interefiing in times of the greatefi 
plenty than in thofe of fcarcity, efpecially 
fince a mode ofpreferving them to any length 
of time has been dfcovered. Phe cultivation 
of them, already carried to a great height, 
cannot be too much encouraged; for, as M, 
Parmentier ohferves, fand the prefent 
feafon fur nifhes a remarkable infiance of the 
truth of his obfervation) the years moft un- 
favourable to grain yield the mofi abundant 
crops of this valuable root. 
Dec. 1782. OBSERVATIONS, ftfo 
CHAPTER I. 
OF THE USE OF POTATOES IN SUBSTANCE. 
AMONG Potatoes there are infinite 
varieties of colour, bulk, fhape, 
confiftence, and tafte: but thefe varieties are 
nor always, as it hath been pretended, the 
effect of foil, feafon, and care bellowed in 
cultivation * they arife from a real differ- 
ence of fpecies j for there are correfpond- 
ing differences in the parts of fructifica- 
tion ; the flowers being fometimes of a ci- 
neritious grey and dirty white, and fome- 
times of a pale red or fine blue * the ver- 
dure of the leaves, the (talk and fruit* are 
alfo fubject to varieties * there are both early and late Potatoes: it neverthelefs ap- 
pears that the conflifuent parts of the roots 
are always of the fame nature, differing 
only in proportion. 
Although the good effeds of Potatoes 
in fubflance are fully proved by the daily 
ufe which whole nations and feveral of our 
own provinces make of them, yet they 
have not efcaped the fhafts of calumny. 
How many imaginary evils have been im- 
puted to them ! How many forged tales 
would have been circulated againfl them, 
if a multitude of writers, well qualified to 
decide concerning the effeds produced by 
food in the animal ceconomy, had not de- 
fended and juftified that which is afforded 
by thefe roots 1 It was on fuch an occafion 
that the Faculty of Medicine at Paris being 
confulted by the Comptroller-general on 
the wholefomenefs of Potatoes, charged 
with caufing difeafes in fome of our pro- 
vinces, made a report highly favourable to 
them, and well calculated to diflipate all 
apprehenfions. But as it would be infufficient to remind 
prejudiced perfons, that in the mod; popu- 
lous provinces of Germany many millions 
of men fubfift almoft entirely on this 
food; or to quote the remark of an excel- 
lent obferver concerning the Iriih, whofe 
chief nourishment confifts of Potatoes• 
(The Irifh, fays he, are robufl: they are 
Grangers to many difeafes by which other 
nations are afHidted; nothing is more 
common than to meet with perfons ad- 
vanced in years, and to fee twins playing 
about the hut of the peafant.)—l conceiv- 
ed, that in order to quiet all alarms, and to 
remove every Subterfuge of prejudice, it 
would be neceffary to enter upon fome che- 
mical difcuffions and enquiries. 
I therefore proved, by a long train of 
experiments, that Potatoes in their natural 
{bate contained three didincl and elfential 
principles, when each was examined by 
itfelf; viz. i. a dry powder, refembling 
the ftarch contained in grain; 2. a light 
fibrous matter, of a grey colour, and of the fame nature as that contained in the roots 
of pot-herbs i 3. laftly, a mucilaginous 
juice, which has no peculiar properties, 
but may be compared to the juice of fuc- 
culent plants, fuch as borage and buglofs. 
I next diftilled Potatoes in a retort; 
they gave out an immenfe quantity of wa- 
ter, which towards the end of the opera- 
tion became more and more acid; next 
there paffed a light and an heavy oil, re- 
fembling that generally obtained from the 
parts of plants containing flour. A pound 
of thefe roots leaves fcarce 36 grains of 
earthy refiduum which has all the cha- 
racters of vegetable earth. 
What effeCls then are produced by the 
boiling which thefe roots are made to un- 
dergo before they are eaten ?It tends to 
combine thefe different principles more 
intimately, and to form a whole more fo- 
luble and of eafier digeftion. To di- 
vide the Potatoes afterwards by means of 
a grater, and to fet them under the prefs. would be to little purpofe : it would be 
impoffible to exprefs a Tingle drop of water, 
or to precipitate a particle of ftarch. 
It is well known that the veffel in 
which Potatoes have been boiled is by 
that operation coloured green, and they 
fometimes leave behind them a flight acri- 
mony fufliciently fenflble to the throat: 
now thefe circumflances afforded fuffici- 
ent fcope to the vilifiers of this valuable 
plant, to impute feveral difeafes to it; but 
I further proved that thefe two properties 
do not belong to the whole of the root, 
but only to the red fkin by which it is co- 
vered externally, and that feveral other 
roots prefent the fame phenomena, fuch as 
radifhes, which lofe their colour as faft as 
they come in contact with boiling water, 
tinging it with a green hue, and at the 
fame time parting with their well-known 
pungency; and laftly, that this colouring 
matter with which the fkin of the Potatoe 
furnifhes water, is Amply extractive, and 
contains nothing virulent or faline. Besides, how can this green colour be 
noxious, when roafted Potatoes, which re- 
tain it, are as wholefome as boiled ? nay, 
they are more favoury and delicate; an ad- 
vantage arifing from the diffipation of the 
aqueous fluid, and perhaps from the fame 
extractive matter which communicates the 
green colour to water. 
Some of the advocates for Potatoes, 
alarmed by this green colour, and perfuad- 
ed that it exifts in their juice, have propofed 
to extraCt it, and fubditute water in its 
dead i but there cannot perhaps be a more 
abfurd propofal. In our iflands the juice 
of the mangoe is feparated becaufe it is 
really poifonous; I have alfo imitated the 
procefs of the Americans in feveral indi- 
genous, farinaceous roots, which without 
this previous extraction would be very 
dangerous : but the juice of the Potatoe is 
far from containing any thing fimilar; 
like all the other principles, it is eiTential 
to it when we would eat it in fubflance. 
In order to feparate it, the aggregation muff be broken, the fibrous nets mufl: be 
torn in pieces, and the exprefTed refiduum 
be employed only in the form of pap; 
which, inftead of adding to the wholefome- 
nefs of Potatoes, would make an infipid, 
heavy, and indigeftible food. 
The vegetable kingdom affords no food 
more wholefome, more eafily procured, or 
lefs expenlive, than the Potatoe. It is well 
known with what refources it furnifhed the 
Irifh in 1740 ; many families would have 
been fwept away without this fupply: the 
eagernefs with which children devour it, 
the preference which they give it to the 
chefnut, would feem to fliew that it is well 
adapted to the confutation of man : per- 
fons of all ages and temperaments feed 
upon it without experiencing the flighted: 
inconvenience. In the lafl German war 
thefe roots were the refource of many fol- 
diers, who happening to be feparated from 
the main body of the army, would have fall- 
en facrifices to fatigue and hunger, if they 
had not met with Potatoes, which they eat in exceffive quantities after fimpie boiling, 
and with no other feafoning than a good 
appetite: gratitude induced feveral of them 
to import the plant into their own coun-r 
try, where it was unknown: they culti- 
vated it with (kill, and fet an example 
which was foon imitated. At prefent 
there is fcarce an elegant repafl where Po- 
tatoes are not introduced with emulation 
in various difguifes; and the great con- 
fumption in the Capital, proves that they 
are no longer defpifed there. 
The exceffive price to which grain has 
been advanced of late years, forms a re- 
markable sera at which the beneficial qua- 
lities of Potatoes have been begun to be 
tried in many places. An officer of dif- 
tindtion, while he was improving one of his 
eflates, grew a great quantity of Potatoes, 
but being well acquainted with the flub- 
bornnefs of ruflic prejudices, he was aware 
that the eloquence of example would be 
infinitely more perfuafive than whatever 
he could fay : he had five dogs, a yard well flocked with poultry of every fort, twenty 
cows, and two pigs, to feed daily : he ex- 
plained to his fervants his intention of 
noun'! mg ah the animals with Potatoes 
alone•, by which means the grain which 
they would have confumed might be em- 
ployed for the fervice of men. His orders 
were punctually obeyed, becaufe the pu- 
nilhment of difobcdience was the dif- 
miffion of the firfb who was guilty of it. 
Pretending afterwards that the Potatoe was 
difficult of digeftion, he forbade his fer- 
vants to eat them. Thefe contrivances 
produced the expected effedl, and thus he 
made this plant an objedt of attention in 
his neighbourhood. 
If we confider all the properties of Po- 
tatoes, we lhall be forced to acknowledge, 
that if there really exifts a medicinal food, 
it is to be found in thefe roots. All the 
Englilh authors who have fpoken of Po- 
tatoes, regard them as light and very nu- 
tritious. Ellis, who paid great attention 
$o the culture of them, bellows the moft pompous epithets upon them, and announ- 
ces them as the food of all others moft fuita- 
ble to his countrymen, on account of their 
general practice of eating great quantities 
of flefh. Lemery in his Treatife on Food, 
and TifTot in his ElTay on the Difeafes of 
People of Falhion, agree in recommending 
ftrongly the ufe of Potatoes: But I will 
felecl a few obfervadons from the great 
number of which I can anfwer for the 
truth, by way of reply to the objections 
that have been brought againft Potatoes.. 
M. Engel in his Inftrudlions how tcf 
cultivate the Potatoe, informs us, that feve- 
ral of his friends who had lived three years 
almoft on Potatoes alone, experienced no 
inconvenience, and were far from being 
fatiated; among others he mentions a 
maiden lady 33 years of age, who was in fo 
bad a date of health, that her appetite was 
quite gone and her flomach incapable of 
digefting any thing, when fhe happened 
to take a fancy to live on Potatoes; die 
experienced fuch happy effeds from this diet, as to recover her gaiety, plumpnefs, 
in a fhort time. 
A merchant of a very flrong conftitu- 
tion was fo reduced by an illnefs of nine 
months continuance, that he voided his food 
juft as he took it one day he thought of 
eating Potatoes, by which he was fo much 
benefited, that he declared to me that the 
good ftate of health which he now enjoyed 
was owing to them alone. 
I had a relation of a keen appetite, and 
in the habit of ufmg confiant exercife ; he 
could not eat the feeds of any leguminous 
plant without being afterwards tormented 
by the heart-burn, but found that Po- 
tatoes never produced any fuch effedt. I 
know fome peribns who live on milk and 
Potatoes alone, not being able to digeft any 
other food ; I am acquainted with others 
who have been cured of a fcorbutic taint 
by the moderate ufe of Potatoes •, their 
flomach, fo far from being weakened, ac- 
quired greater firength and vigour. These obfervations, which might eafily 
be multiplied, and which are confirmed by 
my analyfis of Potatoes, prove how far 
thefe roots ought to be exempted from all 
fufpicion of lying heavy on the flomach of 
thofe who ufe them for food, fince every 
pound contains 11 f ounces of water, and 
the 4 f ounces of folid parts remaining, 
afford fcarce a drachm of earth. 
Another objection flill fubfifling in 
force againfl the wholefomenefs of Potatoes 
is, that as they belong to the family of Sola- 
num, they muft needs poffefs narcotic pro- 
perties ; but experience has long (ince 
fhewn how little fuch botanical analo- 
gies are to be depended on. Is it not well 
known that the family of convolvulus, 
which is in general acrimonious, pungent, 
and cauflic, and fupplies medicine with its 
moft dralfic purgatives, affords in the Ba- 
tatta a mild faccharine aliment, which, to 
be ufed for food, needs only to be boiled ? 
It is indeed true that fome obfervations 
with which I have been favoured, feem to fhew a foporific virtue in the Potatoe; and, 
as I have no interett in concealing any 
thing, I will fet them down here. 
A domestic of the Baron de St. Hilaire, 
after a malignant fever could not recover 
his deep : his matter ordered him to fup 
on Potatoes ; and that very night he flept 
fix hours without intermiffion : the con- 
tinuance of the fame practice produced 
the fame effect, without caufing any change 
in his conftitution. 
Mr. M. of a meagre habit, but of an un- 
interrupted good ttate of health, during 
two years made conttant ufe of roafted Po- 
tatoes, feafoned with a little butter and 
fait; having been always before accuttom- 
ed to eat very fparingly at his evening meal, 
he acquired from reiitti the habit of eat- 
ing fix or feven of the largeft Potatoes for 
fupper : it is proper to remark, that he ate 
bread in proportion : he never experienced 
any inconvenience from this practice j but 
whatdnduced him to abandon it was, that being obliged to rife early, he fuppofed 
that his deep was more profound, and that 
he awaked with greater difficulty; he 
however thinks that thefe effects arofe 
from the excefs, and that he ffiould have 
experienced the fame thing from any other 
dipper, exceeding the bounds of modera- 
tion. When he eats Potatoes he is not 
fenfible of any change in his date of 
body. 
I adduce this lad obfervation with the 
greater pleafure, becaufe, the philofopher 
who is the fubjed: of it, may be quoted as 
an authority in medicine. If excefs in this 
food induces deepinefs, what other excefs 
would not be attended with more pernici- 
ous confequences ? if we even fuppofe this 
foporific virtue to be inherent in the Pota- 
toe, continual ufe will make it quite ineffec- 
tual, as it happens to all kinds of aliment, 
which have been fuppofed, on no better 
grounds to poffefs particular properties. 
The quantity of water contained in Pota- 
toes, may moderate the efferyefcence of the blood, by giving it a greater degree of 
confidence, but without rendering it al 
the fame time more vifcid. 
The property which of all others ren- 
ders the Potatoe fo valuable in the country, 
is, according to the teftimony of the fa- 
culty of medicine at Paris, its improving 
the quality and encreafing the quantity of 
the milk of animals: it produced this ef- 
fed on the nurfes of the poor infants of 
the parifh of St. Roch : at lead the phy- 
ficians of this parifh, in their printed 
certificate, atteft that this food is not only 
more wholefome than any other procur- 
able by the poor, but likewife that it pre- 
vents many difeafes to which children arc 
fubjed, and by which great numbers are 
cut off, fuch as ulcers, difeafes of the eyes, 
atrophy, scc. CHAPTER 11. 
OF THE USE OF POTATOES, IN BREAD* 
WHILST Potatoes were confider- 
ed in France only as an additional 
article to the luxury of our tables, their 
ufefulnefs as a food was little attended to; 
they did not become a fenous object till 
the poffibility of converting them into 
bread, that is to fay, of increafing the quan- 
tity of that prepared from the flour of dif- 
ferent grains, was perceived. I mull; own, 
that in 1771, when I was analyling thefe 
roots, I had this object in view; perfuaded 
that in the form of bread they wonld be an 
ufeful fupplement in times of fcart ity of 
grain, and that at all times it would be a 
fure way of making it ferve from one har- 
veil: to another in thole dift rifts where 
Potatoes are much cultivated; and by 
thefe means alfo they might be appro- 
priated for food when they could no lon- 
ger be eaten in fubftance. It was fcarce found that Potatoes mixed 
With common dough, are made to difap- 
pear, by means of kneading, fo as to form 
an homogeneous and well-raifed mafs, 
when thefe roots were believed to be 
changed into real bread, Enthuliafm laid 
hold of men’s minds; different me- 
thods were propofed, each perfon boafl- 
ing his own : the confequence was, that 
many, milled by a deceitful appearance, 
have afferted, and even now repeat, that 
they have prepared, feen or eaten bread 
made of Potatoes; they have even gone 
fo far as to difpute for the honour of 
the invention; though the Irifh had re- 
courfe to this fubflitute almofl as foon as 
they began to make ufe of Potatoes, 
Their attempts are preferved in feveral 
parts of the Philofophical Tranfadlions; to 
which I refer thofe who may yet cherifh 
the hope of advancing any claims relating 
to this point: I would at the fame time 
beg them not to confound any longer, 
bread in which Potatoes are introduced. and that confifling of thefe roots alone 
and unmixed.' 
First attempts, however imperfect, are 
always received with joy, efpecially wrhen 
the fubftance in queftion has any connect 
tion with the fubddence of the mod: indi- 
gent clafs of citizens; but even with the 
mod; upright intentions it feldom happens 
that the advantages that may be derived 
are not exaggerated. To introduce into 
dough compofed of flour, leaven, and wa- 
ter, i or f of a watery root, without at alf 
prejudicing the product, was a mod; agree- 
able profpedt, when conddered in an 
(Economical view: that the faving was not 
in proportion to the quantity of the fub- 
ddtute employed, could be learned only 
from experience. 
Another circumdance not attended 
to, and which neverthelefs deferved atten- 
tion, was, that the pulp of Potatoes mixed 
with wheat dough, fo much increafes the 
mechanical effedt of the glutinous part of that grain, that it fwells too much during 
the preparation and in the oven; hence 
the bread is extremely light, continues 
but a lliort time in the domach, and pades 
too foon into the lower intedines. 
Should we admit that half the weight 
of this bread confids of Potatoes, it will 
not follow that the nourishment is in- 
creafed in the fame proportion ; there can 
be at mod but one part, of which the nu- 
tritious efifedt is equivalent to an equal 
quantity of flour of wheat ; let me con- 
firm this by an indance;—fuppofe two 
pades of an equal confidence, the one 
condding of 4 pounds of pulp of Pota- 
toes, and as much flour of wheat, the 
other of flour of the fame grain unmixed 5 
the fird will afford lefs bread • this bread 
will contain more water, and will not be 
fo nutritive as the Second mafs, becaufe 
the Potatoe can furnifh but one-third at 
mod of its weight in farinaceous matter, 
that can be compared with the flour of 
grains; the Surplus is nothing but the water of vegetation, which keeps the prin- 
ciples of thefe roots at a diftance from each 
other, and in a ftate of great divifion. 
With refped to the difappearance of 
Potatoes in the above-mentioned mix- 
ture, this phenomenon ought to caufe no 
more furprize than others of daily occur- 
rence ; as for inftance, when pulpous 
fruits, fuch as the pumpion, gourd, the 
herbaceous ftalks of plants, the flefhy 
roots, are added to flour of wheat, ought 
it to be concluded that all fubflances 
which, without being farinaceous, can be 
fo aflimilated with dough as not to be dif- 
tinguifhable except by the organ of tafte, 
are transformed into bread ? or that when 
the mafs has been increafed two-fold, and 
even three-fold, the nutritive virtue has 
received an equal augmentation ? Several 
fads prove the contrary ; and the inhabi- 
tants of the Pays ue Vaud, among others, 
who have been much accuflomed to eat 
this mixed bread, complain that the ap- 
petite is not eafily fatisfied with it. It would undoubtedly be wrong to in- 
fer from this obfervation, that the pre- 
fence of Potatoes is capable of impairing 
the nutritive effects of the fubftances to 
which they are added, and of confequence 
that the pradice of mixing them with 
the dour of different grains ought to be 
difcontLiued; but let me repeat it once 
more, they can nourifh only in propor- 
tion to the quantity of fubilantial mat- 
ter which they contain; and it would be 
ridiculous to require as much nourifh- 
ment from a watery root as from a dry 
feed, which in order to be ufed as a food, 
muft previoufly be combined with a fluid. 
If there are particular circumflances 
in which recourfe fhould be had to the 
fupplement of Potatoes for the prepara- 
tion of white bread, it muft be when the 
quantity of wheat is not in proportion to 
the confumption. As it is the common 
food of the rich and the inhabitants of 
cities, it is of little importance whether 
it is more or lefs fubftantial; iq general it is only an addition to other meats i 
but this does not hold with refpedl to 
the brown meal of the fame grain ; it has 
not fo much vifcidity as the white; the 
mixture of Potatoes gives it more bulk, 
lightnefs and quality. 
Next to wheat, rye is the mod: valu- 
able grain j both, mixed or f.-parate, afford, 
if well prepared, a very excellent bread, 
without the neceflity of any addition: 
but when they are fcarce, and brought 
from a great diftance, and very dear, the 
Potatoe, if there is a fudicient dock, 
woujd make a faving of other grains., 
which ferve the mod indigent clafs. 
If it is important to fet bounds to the 
practice of ufmg Potatoes to enlarge the 
bulk of wheat and rye bread pit is proper 
to remark, that this practice is extremely 
wholefome for barley, buck-wheat, maize, 
oats, millet, &c? with which bread is pre- 
pared in different diftridts of the realm $ 
for this bread, whether compofed of the meal pure or mixed, is conftantly heavy, 
clofe, and iil-tafted. In this cafe the 
addition of an equal part of Potatoes 
would occalion very delirable changes in 
thefe feveral kinds, by giving tenacity and 
vifcidity to the dough, by promoting the 
fermentative motion, by weakening and 
even deftroying the difagreeable tafte pe- 
culiar to each of them. 
In the prefent cafe, not only the quan- 
tity of bread will be increafed, but the 
quality will be improved ; a great advan- 
tage for the poor in general, and even for 
whole diftrifts, which confume only thefe 
kinds of grains. For the fake of this clafs 
of people, it will be proper to point out a 
method by which the grain may be faved 
and the bread improved. In this view, I 
will give a receipt for the compofition of 
this bread; it will ferve as a model for 
every other propofed to be made in this 
way with all farinaceous fubflances indif- 
criminately, provided they are in a proper 
ftate for making bread ; Take any quantity of Potatoes, well 
crufhed and bruifed; mix them with the 
leaven prepared the evening before in 
the ufual way, with the whole of the 
flour deflgned for making the dough, fo 
that one-half may confifl: of pulp of Pota- 
toes and half of flour; knead the whole 
with the neceflary quantity of warm wa- 
ter; when the dough is fufliciently pre- 
pared, put it in the oven, taking cdre not 
to heat it fo much as ufual, not to fhut 
it up fo foon, and to leave it longer in ; 
without this eflential precaution, the crufl 
of the bread would be hard and fhort, 
while the infide would have too much 
moifture and not be foaked enough. 
Whenever it is propofed to mix Po- 
tatoes with the dough of different grains, 
either to fave a part or to improve the 
bread, thefe roots fliould be reduced into 
the form of a glutinous pafle, becaufe in 
this flate they give tenacity to the flour of 
fmall grain, which are always deficient in 
this refpeft. The other ways of preparing Potatoes 
before mixing them with the flour, are 
not nearly fo advantageous as boiling 
them: thefe ways may be reduced to two 
principal ones; according to the firft, they 
are taken raw and grated; here they are 
employed without lofing any part of their 
juice and fkin : the fecond conflfts in cut- 
ting them in flices, then baking, and af- 
terwards taking them to the mill: but 
the bread in both cafes is dark-coloured, 
clofe, and ill-tafted. 
Were all thefe methods even lefs dc- 
fcdive than they are in reality, they do 
not obtain the end propofcd; viz. faving 
the expence of boiling, and the other ope- 
rations ; for it will coft at leaft as much 
to grate or dry the Potatoes : it is not only 
neceflary to boil, but alfo to cruih and 
manage them fo as to give them the con- 
fidence and form of a tenacious and vif- 
cid pafte, in order that they may produce 
the effeds above defcribed. Let me recapitulate. It cannot be 
doubted, that if wheat and rye were 
Very fcarce, and their high price obliged 
men to feck a fupplement in other grains, 
it would be better to have recourfe to a 
mixture of Potatoes: they may belides 
ferve to give other grains a fuperior de- 
gree of goodnefs. It is well known, 
that in times of dearth, neceffity, incapa- 
ble of making any enquiries when ex- 
ceflive, always guides the hand to obje<fts 
ill calculated to fulfil our intentions, and 
produftive of effects the moll oppofte to 
our withes. 
But, in circumflances affording no 
other means of fubfiftence but Potatoes 
in plenty, the converfion of them into 
bread would be advantageous, becaufe 
there are multitudes fo habituated to live 
upon bread, that they would not believe 
that their appetite was fatisfied, if food 
was offered them in any other form. 
I come now to deferibe the prepara^ tion, which is to ferve as a bads for all the 
farinaceous plants, afterwards to be point- 
ed out as proper to fupply the place of 
pur common aliments when they fail. 
CHAPTER 111. 
PF THE WAY TO MAKE BREAD OF 
TATOES, WITHOUT MIXTURE. 
PREVIOUS to any attempts to convert 
the farinaceous parts of plants into 
bread, it is necedary to prepare them by 
pertain preliminary operations : the inten- 
tion of thefe operations is to difpofe their 
conftituent parts to unite with water, and 
thus to give them a degree of foftnefs and 
flexibility, favourable to the fermentative 
motion which is to take place among 
them. Such is the chief end of the pro- 
cefs which lam ncftv to defcribe; it na- 
turally precedes the talk of the baker, in 
the fabrication of any bread whatever. Of the Starch of Potatoes. 
After having repeatedly wafhed the 
Potatoes, in order to feparate the dirt and 
land, divide them by a grater of tin fet in 
a wooden frame and reding on a fearce; 
empty it when full into a larger veffel: 
the grated Potatoe affords a liquid pade, 
which grows darker coloured on being ex- 
pofed to the air 5 pour fome water on this 
pade, and dir it about with a dick or 
your hands, and pour the whole into a 
fearce placed over another veffel; the tur- 
bid water which paffes through, carries 
the darch along with it, and depofits it at 
the bottom of the veffel: the reddifh wa- 
ter is to be thrown away, and frefh quan- 
tities are to be added till it is no longer 
tinged. 
After this fird operation, the procefs 
of the Starch-maker fhould be exadly imi- 
tated ; the precipitate, when well wadicd, 
is to be taken out, divided into parcels. and fet upon fearces or boards expofed to 
the fun in order to diffipate the excefs of 
moifture; as it dries, the dirty grey co- 
lour changes to a fhining white : this fub- 
ftance is real ftarch, and by being fifted 
through clofe fearces, acquires a tenuity 
equal to that of the fineft ftarch of wheat. 
What remains on the fearce, although 
deprived both of ftarch and extractive 
matter, may ferve, like bran, for feeding 
cattle: it may alfo be reduced to pow- 
der, for a purpofe which I ftiall have oc- 
cafion to mention in fpeaking of the brown 
bread of Potatoes. There are fttuations 
where nothing ftiould be loft, efpecially 
of the objeCts of immediate neceffity. 
Remarks. 
The mofl important obfervation that 
occurs here, is, that Potatoes, to whatever 
variety they may belong, and in whatever 
condition they may happen to be when 
they are ufed, provided they are raw, con- ffantly afford flarch, differing only in 
quantity $ hence Potatoes fpoiled by froft, 
germination, or too ripe, may be ufed for 
this purpofe. 
If it fbould be requifite to employ the 
ftarch immediately, and circumflances not 
allowing time to provide a flock, or to 
wait till it can be dried and paffed through 
the fearce, it may be ufed as foon as it is 
feparated; but the water, which confti- 
tutes about one-half of its weight, fhould 
be deducted. I even think that I have 
obferved, that in its wet flate it renders the 
dough a little more tenacious, and the 
bread whiter. 
It is neceffary to break the aggregation 
of the integrant parts, to tear in pieces the 
fibrous nets, and to force the ftarch con- 
tained in them to quit its place of refi- 
dence : wherefore an inftrument calcu- 
lated only to dice or bruife thefe roots, 
would be quite ufelefs in the prefent 
cafe. To thefe obfervations let me add, that 
though all forts of Potatoes are capable of 
being changed into bread, the round, grey 
ones afford moft flarch ; every pound pro- 
duces nearly from two to three ounces: 
but as I have already remarked, the feafon, 
foil, and cultivation, have great influence 
in this refpedl. 
Of the Pulp of Potatoes. 
As foon as the Potatoes are well baked 
or boiled, they fhould be peeled, and then 
crufhed with a rolling-pin or the hand 
upon a table. Scarce have they loft 
their form, when they begin to flick to- 
gether and to form a pafle, which grows 
more and more elaflic and fpungy, with- 
out the neceflity of adding any fluid: this 
procefs is to be continued till every lump 
is broken; then it is to be fet afide; and 
the whole fhould be thus reduced. 
As Potatoes do not acquire the tenacity 
of a pulp but whilfb they are yet warm. and as by a neceffary confequence the pulp 
itfelf lofes its vifcidity as it grows cold, 
the trouble of boiling thefe roots feveral 
times a day may be avoided, by putting 
them, boiled and peeled, to foak a Ihort 
time in the hot water deligned for knead- 
ing : by thefe means they are made to re- 
gain under the rolling-pin their vifcidity ; 
a quality effential and indifpenfable in the 
fabrication of bread. 
The pulp of Potatoes may be kept two 
days and longer, according to the feafon, 
without danger of fpoiling. It then in- 
deed is not fo tenacious, and does not fo 
nearly refemble the glutinous matter of 
wheat 5 and it is of the greatefl importance 
that it fhould bear the ftrongeft refem- 
blance to this matter, both in tenacity and 
elafticity, the other chemical properties 
in which thefe two fubftances differ from 
each other, being totally infignificant in 
the making of bread. Remarks. 
It is with Potatoes as with the roots of 
pot-herbs and leguminous feeds: the na- 
ture of the water has a lingular influence 
on the fuccefs and quicknefs of the boil- 
ing. The hardnefs of the water may be 
diminifhed by boiling. But Potatoes 
fhould never be drowned, nor fhould the 
veflel which contains them be ever un- 
covered, becaufe the water, after it has 
been reduced into vapour, fhould be driven 
back, in order the better to inflnuate it- 
felf into the texture of each tubercle, to 
penetrate and combine more perfectly its 
conflituent parts; in confequence of which 
they are fooner boiled and more lavoury. 
This obfervation holds with refpeft to all 
vegetable, flefliy, and aqueous fubflances, 
which ought not when they are boiled to 
be drowned with water, unlefs they con- 
tain a matter neceflary to be extracted, 
and in that cafe too much water cannot be 
employed. I have obferved, that the preparation 
of flarch admitted indifferently every fort 
of Potatoes in every poffible ffate; but we 
cannot hope for the fame advantages in 
obtaining the pulp ; this preparation re- 
quires choice; the red fort feems to af- 
ford the moft tenacious and elaffic pafle, 
and confequently merits preference; it is 
of great importance that they fhould be 
found and free from defects. 
It would be impoflible to make bread 
of Potatoes without the aid of the pulp, 
lince it is that alone which gives tenacity 
and vifcidity to the flarch, which is quite 
deflitute of thefe qualities. 
Of the Leaven of Potatoes. 
Mix half a pound of pulp of Potatoes 
with an equal quantity of the flarch, and 
four ounces of boiling water ; fet the mix- 
ture in a warm place: in forty-eight 
hours a flight vinous fmell fhould be ex- 
haled from it; and now a frefh portion of llarch, pulp, and water, fhould be added, 
and the mafs again expofed to the fame 
temperature for the fame fpace of time; 
this operation fhould yet be repeated a 
third time. The pafle thus gradually turn- 
ed four may be confidered as a firfl leaven. 
In the evening dilute this firfl leaven 
with warm water, mjx equal parts of 
flarch and pulp in the proportion of one 
half of the dough, fo that for every twen- 
ty pounds of dough ten of leaven mufl be 
prepared; when the mixture is exactly 
made, put it in a bafket, or leave it in the 
kneading tub all night, taking care to 
cover it well, and to keep it warm till 
morning. 
Remarks. 
The tedious and troublefome prepara- 
tion of the firfl leaven will be avoided af- 
ter the firfl baking, becaufe a piece of the 
dough may be fet afide and kept. The trouble attending the preparation 
of this firft leaven, may be avoided by in- 
troducing at the firfl baking fome leaven 
of dough or yeaft, without the neceflity of 
mixing the ftarch and pulp •, I will even 
obferve, that it does not gain the charac- 
ter of good leaven, till fome time after its 
formation: this law is common to every 
leaven prepared in the fame manner, even 
to that of wheat, for the bread is always 
fliff and heavy when fuch a leaven is firft 
ufed. My motive for pointing out fo long 
a procefs was, to prove that the Potatoe 
was capable of ferving for the elements of 
leaven, and that, like grain, it might be 
made to undergo the bread fermentation, 
without the aid of any foreign agent. 
Of the dough of Potatoes. 
In order to prepare the dough, the lea- 
ven fhould be fet in the middle of the 
ffcarch, fin-rounded by the pulp, divided 
into pieces; it fhould be diluted with 
fome warm water, to which half a drachm of fait for every pound of the mixture 
fhould be added; and when the whole is 
confounded by kneading, it fhould be fub- 
jedlcd to the different operations proper 
to increafe its vifcidity and tenacity; that 
is to fay, it fhould be lifted up, gathered 
and beaten ; but the fids fhould not be 
thrud into it, which is a very general but 
very bad practice in the making of bread 
of all forts. 
As foon as the pade is kneaded it fhould 
be divided and formed into loaves of a 
proper fize, which fhould be fet in tin 
moulds, fprinkled over with bran or fiarch, 
to prevent the adhefion of the dough, 
which generally takes place without this 
precaution : the moulds fhould be cover- 
ed with a wet cloth, and left in a warm 
place for two or three hours, according to 
the feafon. 
Remarks. 
As it is eafy to obtain bread of different 
degrees of confidence, by only varying the quantity of water ufed for kneading, it fol- 
lows that it may alfo be obtained lighter 
or heavier from Potatoes, by varying the 
procefs in the fame manner. 
The quantity of fait may alfo be va- 
ried : the water ought always to be near 
the boiling point $ and we need not fear 
left it fhould deftroy, as when wheat flour 
is ufed, the tenacity of the dough, on the 
contrary, at this temperature, it contributes 
to increafe it 3 thus the fame end is often 
attained by different and even oppofite 
means, 
The time required by the dough to at- 
tain the proper degree of fermentation 
cannot be exadly afeertained, becaufe it 
is regulated by the feafon : this muft be 
learned from experience : I will only re- 
mark, that it is always rather longer than 
that required by wheaten dough. Of the Baking. 
When the leaven has been prepared 
the evening before, the kneading properly 
executed, the dough turned immediately 
afterwards, and diflributed in moulds, the 
operator fbould yet wait two or three 
hours before he heats his oven, and this 
procefs requires two hours; then the 
dough may be put in, after the furface has 
been moiftened again : it ihould be kept in 
the oven an hour, or two hours at moll. 
Remarks. 
The bread in queftion requires a long 
continued fermentation, and an oven very 
gently heated. 
In order to induce perfons to ufe all the 
precautions I lay down, it is neceffory 
fometimes to ex lain their effects : Now I 
recommend turning the dough as foon as 
It is kneaded, left while it continues in 4o 
the lump its vifcidity fhould be fo far im~ 
paired as to prevent its being handled and 
fhaped: the furface ftiould be kept moift 
left it fhould be fuddenly feized by the 
heat, and becoming hard ana thick hinder 
the baking of the center, and the exfuding 
of the moifture from the foft part. 
CHAPTER IV. 
OF THE BREAD OF POTATOES. 
BY this method I will venture to aft 
fert, from various and repeated trials, 
that the Potatoe, which hitherto hath not 
been converted into a well-raifed bread, 
without the mixture of at leaft an equal 
quantity of fome flour, may be made to 
aflfume that form without any foreign aft 
flftance ; the whole artifice confifts in fub- 
jeding thefe toots to two previous opera- tions before the application of the ufua! 
procefs of the baker. 
Bread of Potatoes is then compofed 
half of ftarch and half of pulp, with half 
a drachm of fait to every pound of the 
mixture. The water, which conftitutes 
about 7 of the whole mafs, is totally 
diffipated during the baking; hence, in 
order to obtain a pound of this bread, 
three pounds and an half of Potatoes, i, e» 
nine ounces of ftarch, and as much pulp, 
are requilite. But it is of confequence to 
remark, that in this diminution our roots 
lofe only their exceffive moifture. The 
nutritive matter which they contain, fo 
far from being impaired in its effe&s, mull 
neceflarily have gained by the bread fer- 
mentation, a procefs that is well known to 
improve all farinaceous fubftances indif-? 
criminately, by increafing their bulk and 
folubility. 
It is poffible to obtain from Potatoes 
£ brown bread yet more (Economical. In order to effeCl this, thefe roots and the 
fibrous matter remaining on the fearre 
after the extraction of the flarch, fhould be 
dried, and then reduced to powder, with 
which an equal quantity of boiled 
toes, reduced to a pulp in the manner de- 
fcribed above, fhould be mixed: in this 
cafe peeling them may be difpenfed with, 
fince the kneading performed by robufl 
arms will completely divide the fkin ; but 
this brown bread, whatever care is taken 
in preparing it, is always dofe, heavy, and 
ill-tailed. 
Yeast diluted with water, is the proper 
ferment to be employed, wherever brewing 
is praClifed. 
I would propofe to add one-twelfth 
of meal in the preparation of this bread ; 
by this means fifty pounds of grain, fcarce 
enough for a month’s fuflenance, would 
furnifh bread for the whole year. CHAPTER V. 
OF THE BISCUIT OF POTATOES, 
IN order to prepare bifcult of Potatoes, 
mix a little yeaft or leaven diluted with 
hot water, with one pound of pulp of Po- 
tatoes, and as much ftarch ; of the whole 
form dough, and knead it long; after 
which, feparate pieces of about three quar- 
ters each, and flatten them fo as to leave 
them about twenty-four inches in cir- 
cumference, and fifteen or fixtecn lines in 
diameter. 
When the dough has been thus divid- 
ed and fhaped, fet it upon plates, and in 
about an hour afterwards put it in the 
oven, firfl pricking it with an iron inftru- 
ment, provided with feveral teeth, in or- 
der to prevent it from fwelling, by pro- 
moting the evaporation from every point. As this dough contains but little water, it 
is more difficult to be baked; hence it 
muft be left in the oven longer than the 
bread, for two hours at lead, and the ra- 
ther as it ought to be baked more. 
The bifcuit at its being taken out of 
the oven ffiould be fet in a warm place, 
that it might cool gradually and be de- 
prived of its moidure, which is continu- 
ally exhaled as long as the heat fubfids. It 
is of great confeqence not to pack it up 
under five or fix days after it has been 
made, and to keep it in as dry a place as 
poffible. 
Biscuit of wheat in general lofes * of 
its weight in the oven; hence in order to 
obtain half a pound, I of the firmed dough 
mud be ufed. Our bifcuit undergoes a 
nearly equal lofs ; the water employed for 
diluting the leaven, and which is 
ent for kneading, is diffipated entirely, to- 
gether with a portion of that which forms 
a condituent part of the pulp. Different kinds ofbifcuit, according 
to the length of the voyage and the lati- 
tudes to be traverfed, are prepared from 
wheat. In cold and dry climates bifcuit 
is lefs liable to fpoil; its fird alteration 
proceeds from its attracting the moidure 
of the air, becoming internally mouldy, 
and contracting a bad fmell, whence it foon 
becomes food for worms. This incon- 
venience may be always prevented, by dry- 
ing the wheat perfectly, grinding it well, 
and not feparating, as it is the practice of 
fome places, the flour from the coarfer part, 
(le gruan) which is the dried:, mod favou- 
ry, and mod nutritious part of the grain. 
The quality ofbifcuit does not always 
correfpond to that of the grain of which 
it is made; it often depends on the pro- 
cefs: every nation feems to have adopted 
ope peculiar to itfelf; this ufes a great 
quantity of leaven, that very little, a third 
none at all; and yet the tade of the bif- 
cuit depends on the quantity of leaven. 
As that made of Potatoes is naturally in- lipid, a drachm of fait might be added to 
every pound, without dilpofing it to 
fpoil. 
The bifeuit in queftion, when well 
prepared, has all the properties of common 
bifeuit; it breaks fhort, is fonorous, and 
does not crumble on being ileeped in wa- 
ter. The opinion of feveral competent 
judges, to whofe examination it was fub- 
mitted, was extremely favourable to it. 
The minifter of the marine accepted and 
patronized it, obferving, that the only way 
of learning whether it would keep as long 
as wheaten bifeuit, was to put it on board 
fome velfels. This direction was carefully 
executed ; but there is every reafon to ap- 
prehend that it has fallen a prey to fome of 
the enemy’s privateers. 
But if I may be allowed to form a few 
conjectures from its appearance, and the 
nature of the farinaceous fubllance of 
which it conlifts, I think it may reafonably 
be prefumed that it will fland long voy^ ages j and, without defiring to fet it in com- 
petion with common bifcuit, it feems to 
have one advantage over the latter, fince 
the Potatoe containing no faccharine or 
glutinous fubftance, the bifcuit made of 
it muft be lefs liable to attrad the moiflure, 
and confequently to fpoil. 
The Potatoe grows plentifully every 
where, and efpecially in our iflands, of 
which it is a native; fo that the ineftimable 
advantage of victualling (hips there may 
be obtained, efpecially at a time of dear- 
nefs of corn, and in circumftances when 
dangers at fea render communication dif- 
ficult and hazardous. 
I have already mentioned the antifcor- 
butic quality attributed by fome authors 
to Potatoes : Mr. Magellan has late- 
ly communicated fome obfervations to the 
Academy of Sciences, which prove that 
thefe roots are realJy capable of curing the 
fcurvy : how much more probable is it 
then that it will prevent this difeafe, fo formidable to Tailors ? Thus this ufeful 
clafs of men would find a prefervative in 
their daily food : it would even be defir- 
able to put on board a certain quantity of 
this bifcuit at all times; it would become 
the regimen of thofe whofe blood {hewed 
a tendency to fcurvy. 
Why {hould not the different kinds of 
Potatoe bread which I have defcribed, and 
which keep fweet for a long time, be em- 
barked on board our veffels ? In order to 
make the experiment, two loaves newly 
baked, confiding of wheaten flour mixed 
With Potatoes, were fealed up and entrufl;- 
ed with a captain of a veffel ready to fet 
fail for Spain, with an injundion to leave 
one in the open air and the other in his 
chamber. The captain returned from his 
voyage, and even from another undertaken 
ten months afterwards : thefe two loaves 
were found equally good. This fad, 
which proves the benefits that may be de- 
rived from this bread, is preferved in the 
regifters of the Royal Society of Agricul- 
ture at Rouen. CHAPTER VI. 
DF THE COARSE FLOUR, SALEP, AND 
SAGO OF POTATOES. 
BY giving directions how the Potatoe 
may be reduced into various forms; 
I do not pretend that it acquires at the 
fame time all the medicinal qualities attri- 
buted to each of the fubflances with which 
I compare it; my intention is only to 
point out the wholefome refources which 
this root is capable of affording to man, 
in the hate of difeafe, when thefe fub* 
fiances fail. 
Of the Coarfe Meal of Potatoes 
Under the name oigruaux, it is ufual 
to comprehend the feeds of the graffes* 
grofsly divided by mills, and freed in part 
from their cortical cover. The way of 
turning them to ufe refembles the origi- 
nal ufe of farinaceous fubflances in gene- ral ; it conflfls in diluting and boiling 
them in a nutritious vehicle. Now Po- 
tatoes, boiled or roafted, before they have 
been dried, cannot be brought under this 
denomination ; they rather form a kind of 
falep, as 1 will foon fhew. 
When the Potatoes have been cleaned 
and peeled, they (hould be diced, and laid 
on fearces covered with paper, which are 
then to be placed in an oven : they very 
foon (brink, lofe their tranfparency, and 
in twenty-four hours become friable 
enough to be broken to pieces by the 
adllon of the mill or peftle. When 
they are only bruifed, they may be dif- 
tinguifhed by the name of coarfe meal, 
and by that of flour, when reduced to a 
fine powder. 
The dices, when dried, are wrinkled 
and tarniflied at the furface, and internally 
whitifh : when you bite them, you think 
you have wheat or rye between your teeth : 
they are rather longer in boiling than the roots when whole and frefh ; they befldes 
have a dark grey colour, and their tafle is 
fomewhat different. 
The flour obtained from dried Pota- 
toes, is loft to the touch, but the colour 
is a dirty grey; if an attempt is made to 
form a ball of it with water, it acquires 
fcarce any tenacity; when diluted and 
boiled, like other kinds of coarfe meals, 
(fuch as oatmeal, 6cc.) in milk, broth, or 
any mucilaginous decodlion, it diminifhes 
their tranfparency, aflumes the confidence 
of broth, emits an odour refembling that 
of pafte of flour, and its tafle is lefs agree- 
able than the Potatoe itfelf before it is 
dried. 
It would be in vain to hope, that grind- 
ing and drefling, which have fo much in- 
fluence on the quality of flour, are capa- 
ble of improving that of Potatoes; as the 
extraftive matter which they contain, has 
not been combined by the operation of 
drying, it is fo far developed as to be very fen Able, both to the eye and the tafle, 
in every preparation into which it is in- 
troduced j either in wheaten bread, which 
it renders dilagreeable and brown, or in 
porridge, which is of a yellow colour, and 
unpleafant tafte; it may indeed be cor- 
rected by fugar or aromatics. 
From what has been faid, it appears 
that the flour of Potatoes fbould be dif- 
tinguifhed from the flarch ; fmce the one 
is an approximation of the conftituent 
parts, in confequence of the evaporation of 
the aqueous fluid, whilft the other is one 
of the principles formed by vegetation, 
and very eafily feparable, provided thefe 
roots have not undergone the action of 
fire. 
The flour of Potatoes may be long kept 
without alteration it needs only to be 
fufliciently dried, and to be fecured from 
moifture, and the deftructive animals 
which it allures : it appeared to me quite 
as good, after a year had elapfed, as the firft day of its preparation ; nor could I 
ever perceive any appearances of germina- 
tion, at the return of fpring, or that it 
changed colour, as fome have advanced, 
with a view, no doubt, of depreciating fuch 
kind of food. 
It would be infinitely more expeditious 
to dry the Potatoes whole; but I have 
long fince learned from experience, that 
however fmall they happened to be, it is 
impoflible to diffipate the whole of the 
watery principle; they become foft, and 
fpoil, fooner than part with the remaining 
moifture, which prevents their being re- 
duced to powder. I have often expofed 
Potatoes to a heat of i oo—l2o°, in order to 
prevent them from fhooting or fprouting; 
this method effectually deprives them of 
this faculty, but at the fame time greatly 
injures the organization ; thefe roots, half 
dried, are not fo delicate when boiled, and 
they cannot be long kept without fuffering 
internally. As it is very difficult to clean Potatoes, 
on account of their inequality, and to peel 
them raw, unlefs they have been foaked 
for fome time in water; the fmootheft may 
he/feledtqd for this purpofe, and the Ikin 
may be taken off at the time of gathering : 
women and children may be charged with 
this talk. 
I must however obferve, that whatever 
care may be taken in culling, cleaning, 
drying, and grinding Potatoes, neither the 
coarfe meal nor the flour can ever be 
brought to poflefs every advantage; how- 
ever you may prepare them, you mult not 
expeff to have an aliment under this form 
as plealant as it is wholefome ; what a dif- 
ference, when they are boiled before they 
are dried ! Two produffs are obtained, 
which have nothing in common but the 
fame fource. 
Of the Salep of Potatoes. 
The bulbous roots of the family of or- 
chis, when they have been boiled, clean- Ed, dried, and reduced to powder, receive 
the name of falep; the ufe of this fub- 
fiance is well known, when we with to 
procure a fubftantial and eafily digeftible 
nourifhment. The Potatoe, fubjedted to 
the fame preparation, refembles it fo 
ftrortgly, that it may not only be fubfli- 
tuted in its head on many occalions, but 
likewife, in cafe of want, fupply the place 
of the frefh roots, till the next crop is 
ripe. 
When Potatoes are nearly boiled, take 
them from the fire; peel, dice, and fet 
them in or upon an oven after the bread 
has been drawn in thirty hours they will 
be dried enough, and will have loft i, of 
their weight. 
The trouble of dicing them, efpecially 
when it is propofed to reduce them to 
powder, may be avoided, by making the 
above-mentioned pulp, and fpreading it 
in thin beds in a ftove $ but they fhould be boiled and reduced to pulp only as they 
are dried, left they fliould turn four. 
The Potatoe, by being boiled, diced, 
and dried, acquires the tranfparency and 
hardnefs of horn ; it breaks fhort, and the 
fracture is fomewhat like that of glafs; 
it does not attract the moifture of the at- 
mofphere, is pounded with difficulty, and 
affords a dry whitifh powder, refembling 
that of gum arabic : this powder diffolves 
in the mouth, and with water forms a 
mucilage. Such are the general properties 
of falep. 
In Switzerland and Alfatia, an inffru- 
ment contrived on purpofe for breaking 
Potatoes has been ufed with advantage; 
it corffiffs of a cylindrical pipe, pierced at 
the bottom with a number of fmall holes, 
like a fkimmer, through which the 
tatoes are forced, after they have been peel- 
ed, dried flowly, and boiled : thus a kind 
of vermicelli is formed; hence the Ge- 
ncefe and Italian paffes may be imitated. by mixing the powder of Potatoes with 
the pulp, and adding the ufual feafoning. 
This mixture is eafily hardened, and fwells 
very well in hot water. 
If the obfervations of Ellis and Ma- 
gellan, on the antifcorbutic virtue of 
Potatoes, fhould be confirmed by further 
experiments ; if this virtue, as there is 
every reafon to believe, refides in the ex- 
tractive matter; thefe roots, which have 
loft nothing by being boiled and dried, 
will be more efficacious in this difeafe 
than the bread and bifcuit, that have been 
deprived in part of their extractive matter; 
they will have over frefh Potatoes the ad- 
vantages of occupying lefs room, of being 
laid up any where, of keeping longer, and 
of becoming, in a moment’s boiling, a 
wholefome and mild food, comparable to 
that of the Potatoe itfelf. The pulp ufed 
for making the bread, may be prepared ir* 
the moft dead feafon of the year; and this 
would be a fure mean of having thefe roots for food when they can no longer be 
had in fubftance. 
Potatoes in falep do not, like the 
meal, alter the whitenefs of wheaten bread 
when they form a part of it, of different 
jellies or broths; they preferve their 
colour, tafte, and fmell, becaufe the ex- 
tractive matter is confounded with the 
ftarch and parenchyma by boiling; 
whereas fimple deficcation aCls on each of 
thefe principles feparately, and caufes an 
alteration, which makes dried Potatoes fo 
much inferior to thofe that have undergone 
.a previous boiling. 
When this falep is to be adminiflered, 
it fhould fir ft be reduced to a fine powder; 
an ounce of it fliould be boiled in an half- 
pint of water, for a quarter of an hour, 
and then pafted through a cloth; a little 
ftigar and cinnamon fhould be added : 
when it grows cold, it becomes awhitifli 
kind of jelly, and fhould be given every two 
hours, in the dofe of one or two fpoon- fuls, according as the cafe requires. When 
it is propofed to make a mucilaginous pti- 
fan, like rice or barley-water, the fame 
quantity of falep may be diluted in a quart 
or three pints of water; it may be made 
pleafant by any fyrup fuited to the dif- 
eafe. 
Here it will be objected, that my new 
falep is nothing but Potatoes, of which 
the different principles have been ap- 
proximated by the evaporation of the ex- 
ceffive moifture ; and that it cannot be 
confidered as f milar to a bulbous root, in 
which mucilage is extremely attenuated. 
I reply, that the boiling produces in the 
Potatoe a mucilage, on which the drying 
afterwards adts, by deftroying the vifeidity, 
and bringing it to the flate of jelly. Be- 
fides, I have given it with advantage, in 
cafes where falep was indicated, in bilious 
cholics, in diarrhoeas, and in all difeafes 
depending on acrimony of the lymph. 
But I do not wifh to dogmatize in medi- 
cine, or to rob the rich of their falep. which cofls them 20 francs a pound : the 
expence of mine will be very trifling and 
I may furely be allowed to call it the falep 
of die poor. 
Of Sago of Potatoes. 
Sago is well known to be a feculency, 
feparated by fearces, and wafhed from the 
farinaceous pith contained in certain 
palms, very common in the Molucca if- 
lands. This feculency, which is not fa- 
llible in water unlefs it boils, which then 
increafes confiderably in bulk, and changes 
into a tranfparent jelly, is nothing but real 
ftarch. Now, as I think I have proved 
that this fubflance is identical, like fugar, 
in whatever body it may happen to be 
contained, the ftarch of Potatoes may fup- 
ply its place entirely. 
The form of Imall grains, in which fa- 
go is imported, and the reddifh colour, 
are occafoned by the degree of heat em- 
ployed by the Indians for drying it. The way to extradl the ftarch from Potatoes 
has been already fhewn 3 it would be pof- 
fible to bring it to a perfedl refemblance 
with fago, if it could be fuppofed that 
drying, carried to a great length, could at 
all influence its (Economical properties. 
When fago of Potatoes is to be ufed, 
put a fpoonful in a faucepan, and add gra- 
dually a pint of water, or milk 3 it fhould 
be fet to boil over a flow fire, and flirred 
conflantly for half an hour 3 fugar and 
aromatics may be added. 
How many ilomachs, naturally weak, 
or enfeebled by excefs or difeafe, and in- 
capable of dlgefling folid food, would be 
relieved and even cured by the ufe of falep 
and fas:o of Potatoes ? Each affords a 
O 
wholefome nutriment, eafy of digeftion, 
and adapted to fulfil the fame indications 
as falep and fago properly fo called. 
They are refioratives for convalefcents, 
old perfons, and children. The Tapioca of 
the Americans, which is nothing but the whitefl and purefl fiarch of the magnoe, 
affords excellent and very wholefome 
J 
broths for debilitated and confumptive 
patients. 
Potatoes, I repeat it, may fupply the 
place of falep and fago, in times of plenty; 
two fubfiances imported from very diftant 
countries, and on that account liable to be 
fufpeded of improper mixtures. If they 
are fpecifics for our difeafes, their exorbi- 
tant price prevents the poor from profit- 
ing by them. The fubflitutes here pro- 
pofed will coft almoft nothing : four 
pounds of Potatoes afford one pound of fa- 
lep ; and fix pounds, one of fago. 
Shall we for ever lay the two Indies 
under contribution to fatisfy our principal 
wants, and value only what is imported 
from far, and has the merit of growing in 
another hemifphere ? CHAPTER VII. 
OF THOSE FARINACEOUS SEEDS AND 
ROOTS FROM WHICH IT IS NECESSARY 
TO EXTRACT THE STARCH. 
IT has been long a prevailing opinion, 
that feeds belonging to the great fami- 
ly of graffes, were the only receptacle of 
ftarch: but it cannot now be doubted, 
that it is to be found in pulfe, and in a great 
number of other feeds and roots belonging 
to various claffes. I would almoft ven- 
ture to alledge, that there is no part of 
fructification in which it is not contained ; 
that it is identical, from whatever fubftance 
it is extracted ; and that the ftarch of feeds 
is not more attenuated than the ftarch of 
roots. 
It feems to me that berries and ftone 
fruits cannot contain ftarch, becaufe their 
pulp is too foft to hold and fupport a foiid body: but my conjeftures refpeding ap- 
ples, and other like fruits, were very dif- 
ferent; for, as they are firmer, they may well 
ferve fuch purpofes : but my enquiries 
made with this view, were fruitlefs. M. 
Duval alfo fufpe<fted the fame thing, in 
confequence of fome experiments more 
fuccefsful than mine. We tried together, 
whether his fufpicion was well founded, 
and we actually found ftarch in fome 
fweetifh cyder-apples, whilfl others of a 
fourer tafte did not afford an atom. 
Starch then is contained not only in 
roots, bark, flalks, and feeds, but in fruits 
likewife: there remain only leaves and 
flowers, and I would not affert that it may 
not be found fometimes in them; and the 
rather, as I have examined, and obtained 
from feveral of them a mucilage nearly 
refembling it: then it may be faid, that 
all the organs of plants are proper for the 
formation of flarch as well as of fugar, 
two fubftances differing in their nature 
and properties. As moft of the following feeds and roots 
have never been thought to contain any 
alimentary principle, becaufe it was not 
known that they contained ftarch -3 that 
ftarch was the elfential part of farinaceous 
fubftances; and that it may be feparated 
from the other parts, and reduced to the 
form of bread; they have always been 
ranked among poifonous fubftances: in 
which medicine has fought fpecifics, and 
the arts refources, which have not always 
been confirmed by obfervation and expe~ 
riment. 
As the extradion of the ftarch, and the 
way to mix it with a glutinous matter, in 
order to make real bread, by the help of 
fermentation and baking, have been de- 
fcribed at great length already; it, will be 
fufticient to recapitulate the moft efiential 
part here. 
Take any of the following roots, when 
ripe, ftrip them of their fkin, divide them 
by a grater, pour water on the grated mafs, which, as it paffes through a clofe fearce, 
will carry along with it a matter that 
will depolit itfelf gradually at the bottom 
of the wooden or earthen velfel fet to re- 
ceive it: after fome time, pour off the li- 
quor, and wafh the depofited matter re- 
peatedly with frelh water, till it becomes 
perfectly infipid; then expofe it to the 
moll gentle heat; as it becomes dry, it 
turns white, and prefents a friable matter, 
without colour, talle, or fmell, exhibiting 
all the characters that dillinguilh ftarch. 
Of all the plants mentioned below, the 
root, or its bark, are the only parts proper 
for the objeCl in view: it Ihould be 
gathered in autumn, Ihould be chofen frelh 
and fucculent, cleared from its hairy fila- 
ments and its coloured coats; it Ihould 
alfo be cleaned and walhed till the wat,er 
appears quite tranlparent and colourlefs. 
As all the bitternefs of the horfe-chef- 
nut, the afperity of the acorn, the caufticity 
of the arum and ranunculufes, the burning acrimony of the bryony, &C. remain in 
the water employed to feparate and wafli 
the ftarch, it is proper to ufe wooden in- 
ilruments to ftir the mixture, as the hands 
rnight fuffer. 
Th£ ftarch feparated from the feeds 
and roots mentioned below, when well 
wafhed and dried, is perfectly identical: 
but it is not fufficient to feparate it from 
the fubflance in which it is contained j it 
is moreover requiflte to give directions how 
to convert it into food. It may be intro- 
duced, either alone or mixed with the pulp 
of Potatoes, into the dough of various 
grains, to make an addition to the quan- 
tity of bread. Bread may be made with- 
out flour of any kind, by the procefs de- 
fcribed above; but if the Potatoe fliould 
alfo fail, the pulpous fruits of the cuear- 
bitaceous family, fuch as the pumpkin, 
which are fometimcs added to wheaten 
dough in various proportions, may be fub- 
ftituted: laftly, ihould every other re- fource fail, the flarch reprefenting flour 
would ftill ferve for food it would be 
fuflicient to dilute it in fome vehicle, in 
order to obtain a very nutritious broth or 
jelly- 
I have ufed the fevcral Marches ex- 
traded from the following plants,, with- 
out diflindion, nor was it poflible to tell 
. 
from which it had been procured : when 
there is a flight difference perceptible in 
the tafte, fmell, or colour, it fhould be at- 
tributed to the number of wafhings ra- 
ther than to any eflential difference of 
nature. 
The HoiTe-Chefnut *, 
The Acorn. 
[The roots only of the following vege- 
tables afford flarch in confiderable quan- 
tity.] 
* This is not an indigenous tree of this country, 
nor very often to be found in it. In France there 
arc whole forefts of it. Common Burdock, Ar&ium Lappa. 
Deadly Nightfliade, Atropa Belladonna. 
Biftort Snakeweed, Polygonum Biftorta. 
White Bryony, Bryonia alba. 
Meadow Saffron, Colchicum autumnale. 
Meadow-fweet, Spiraea filipendula 
Mafterwort, Imperatoria Oftruthium. 
Black Henbane, Hyofcyamus niger. 
Pimpernel-leaved 
Drop wort. 
CEnanthe Pimpinelloides, 
Obtufe-leaved Dock, Rumex obtulifolius. 
Sharp-leaved Dock, Rumex acutus. 
Aquaticus 
an 
Britannica ? 
Water-Dock, 
Rumex 
Wake Robin, Arum maculatum. 
Bulbous Crowfoot, Ranunculus bulbofus. 
Knotted Figwort, Scrophularia nodofa. 
Dwarf Elder, Sambucus ebulus. 
Common Elder, Sambucus nigra. 
Common Flag, Iris pfeudacorus. 
Stinking Flag, Iris foetidiffima. CHAPTER VIII. 
A LIST OF SUCH FARINACEOUS SEEDS 
AND ROOTS AS MAY BE USED ENTIRE 
FOR FOOD# 
ALL the parts of plants have a parti- 
cular feafon in which they may be 
gathered in their higheft perfedlion: fruits 
and feeds have generally no fixed period, 
but it is necefiary to wait till they are quite 
ripe: as to roots, opinions are yet divided 
with refped: to the time of gathering 
them : they are indeed fucculent in fpringj 
but it may at the fame time be remarked, 
that the liquid vehicle which then a- 
bounds, having not undergone a fufficient 
elaboration, is rather watery than mucila- 
ginous ; that part of this vehicle fhoujd 
acquire nutritive properties 3 and that thefe 
advantages cannot be had together, except 
at the decay or fall of the leaves ; this conf- 
ederation alone fliould make us give the preference to the opinion of thofe who 
maintain that roots fliould be gathered in 
autumn. 
But if it is necetiary to wait for this 
feafon, in order to colled the roots of the 
uncultivated plants to be mentioned below, 
how can they be dilbinguilhed, tince at 
this time the leaves, which may ferve to 
point them out, are either withered or fall- 
en ? Mold of them may be gathered before 
their complete maturity. Betides, it is of 
fmall confequence whether they potiefs 
the whole quantity of darch which they 
have in autumn; the circumstances in 
which it is propofed to have recourfe to 
them admitting of no delay. 
It may be added, that the farinaceous 
roots of perennial wild plants do not ac- 
quire their qualities, confidence, and bulk, 
in the fpace of a tingle year j fome require 
a period of five or fix years to arrive at 
their entire perfection : it is evident, that 
in this cafe they will afford much more ftarch •, which afterwards decreafes as their 
flefby ftate decays, and as they approach 
that period of old-age when they afliime 
the confidence of woody fibres. All thefe 
reafons, deduced from experiment and ob- 
servation, may ferve as a proof that it is 
impoflible to afcertain the quantity of 
ftarch that may be extracted from a given 
weight, and confequently the price of the 
food obtained from them : famine never 
calculates ; and in times of fcarcity, gold 
has fcarce any value in comparifon of 
bread. 
If the ftarch contained in the feeds and 
roots of wild vegetables was always at- 
tended with poifonous juices or pulp, I 
Should certainly continue to propofe the 
extraction of it, in the way already de- 
fcribed, becaufe hitherto no better me- 
thod of applying theie plants to the pur- 
pofes of food has been difcovered; but 
happily there are alfo uncultivated plants, 
in which the Several principles are as mild 
as ftarch, and which may be ufed for food without feparating it. It is of impor- 
tance to avoid lofs when plenty fails, and 
advantage mu ft be taken of every thing, in 
order to have neceffaries. I only regret 
that fuch plants are lefs numerous and 
common than the others. 
Wall Barley, Hordeum murinum. 
Cock’s-foot Panick- 
grafs. 
-n • n. i 
ramcum Dactylon. 
Wild Oat-grafs, Avena fatua. 
Tall Oat-grafs, Avena elatior. 
Floating Fefcue-grafs, Feftuca fluitans. 
Annual Darnel-grafs, Lolium temulentum. 
[The feeds of this grafs fhould be 
expofed to the heat of an oven before 
they are taken to the mill; the bread 
fhould be well baked, and fhould not be 
eaten before it is cold. Thefe fimple pre- 
cautions ought always to be obferved when 
new grain is ufed; they would be the 
means of preventing the diforders fo often 
prevailing in autumn, of which the real 
caufe is frequently unknown.] Field Broomgrafs, Bromus fecalinus. 
[The fame precautions are necelfary to 
be taken with the feeds of this grafs as 
with thofe of the preceding.] 
Cow Wheat, Melampyrum arvenfe. 
Cock’s-comb, Rhinanthus criftagalli. 
Hare’s-foot, Trifolium arvenfe. 
Corn Spurrey, Spergula arvenfis. 
Knot- grafs. Polygonum aviculare. 
Snakeweed, Polygonum convolvulus. 
Corn Cockle, Agrortemma Githago. 
The seeds of the foregoing, may be 
ufed for food, but it is from the roots of 
the following plants that we are to derive 
the fame advantage* 
Heath peafe, Orobus tuberefus. 
[The root and feeds may be ufed for food.] 
Wijd Carrot, Daucus Carota. 
Hare-bells, Hyacinthus non-feriptus. 
[The roots of this plant are faid by fome to have a poifonous quality, when newly 
gathered.] 
Wild Parfnep, Paftinaca fylveftris. 
Pignut, Bunium bulbo-caftanum. 
CHAPTER IX. 
A LIST OF WILD PLANTS, OF WHICH 
THE ROOTS MAY BE SUBSTITUTED 
IN THE PLACE OF POT-HERBS. 
WILD Celery, Apium paluftre. 
Silver-weed, Potentilla anferina. 
Canterbury-bells, Campanula trachelium. 
Milk-thiftle, Carduus marianus; 
Globe-thiftle, Carduus eriophorius, 
Marfli-thiftle, Carduus paluftris; 
Wild Succory Cichorium intybus. 
Common Comfrey, Symphitum officinale* 
Alexanders Smyrnium olufatrura. 
White Water-lily, Nymphasa alba. 
Female Orchis, Orchis morio. 
Male Orchis, Orchis mafcula; Man Orchis, Orchis militarise 
Broad-leaved Orchis, Orchis latifolia. 
Pyramidal Orchis, Orchis pyramidalis 
Yellow Bethlem-ftar, Ornithogalum luteum. 
Let it not appear furprizing, that 
among the feafonings which uncultivated 
vegetables are capable of affording, I do 
not enumerate any fpecies of Fungus, 
though they all grow fpontaneoufly on 
the hills, and in the woods and plains. 
Mod of thefe lingular plants contain a poi- 
fon of great activity; and, unhappily, we 
are deficient both in chemical and botani- 
cal means to edablifh certain marks of 
diftinCtion between them, which may ferve 
to characterize their effeCts, and at the 
fame time prevent the fatal miftakes every 
day made in choofing them : it would then 
be better, as Geoffroy expreffes it, to 
return mufhrooms reared in beds to the 
dunghill whence they fprung. 
Were it even in our power to render 
all mufhrooms innocent by any particular 
operation, experience proves that the befl forts, thofe ufually introduced into our 
ragouts, may become highly dangerous, 
either becaufe they have been gathered 
too early or too late, or in a bad feafon or 
from having been expofed for a long time 
to fogs, the dew or the vapour of any pu- 
trefying fubflance $ or laflly, by eating to 
excefs, or from the habit of body at the 
time of eating. M, de Jussieu has told 
me, that both he and his uncles were well 
perfuaded that all mufhrooms were fufpi- 
cious. What more refpedable authority 
in botany can I quote in behalf of my 
opinion ? How many accidents, that have 
happened immediately after meals, have 
been attributed to caufes totally different, 
while they were occafioned by an immo- 
derate ufe of mufhrooms P 
It would be in vain to hope that a 
fketch of the horrible but too certain pic- 
ture of the vidlims dally facrificed by 
mufhrooms, would induce men to aban- 
don them; gluttony would flill prevail, 
and, though the moft finking inflances warn us every moment of the poifonOus 
principle contained in fungous plants, 
their reputation has not fuffered, but we 
continue to eat them with equal pleafure 
and fecurity. Hence, fince on this occa- 
iion calamity has not rendered us wifer, I 
will point out with forrow and reludance 
fome means of preventing or diminiftiing 
the accidents which arife from this fource. 
Ttt ere fhould always be an interval be- 
tween the gathering and eating of mufti- 
rooms, during which they ftiould be foak- 
ed in cold water, and then blanched in frefti 
water; and wine, vinegar, lemon-juice, 
or acidulous plants, fhould be mixed with 
the difties in which they are ufed. Laftly, 
it is of the higheft importance to chew 
them well, left the property belonging to 
feveral forts, of fwelling in the ftomach, 
ftiould give rife to enormous pieces, which 
would be pernicious folely on account of 
their indigeftible bulk. 
Mushrooms, I repeat it, are not nu- tritious they only contain a favoury fub- 
fiance, which may eafily be difpenfed with; 
and, fince there is no way to diflinguifh 
the mufhroom which is effentially poi- 
fonous, from that which may be rendered 
poilonous by a thoufand accidents, let us 
not hefitate to profcribe it from the clafs 
of feafonings, by fubftituting the heart of 
artichokes, celery, and the root of parfley, 
and other garden plants j in which it would 
be eafy, on enquiry, to difcover the fedu- 
cing relilh of the deceitful mufhroom. 
CHAPTER X. 
TO MAKE A LIQUOR WHICH MAY BE 
SUBSTITUTED IN TH"E PLACE OP 
BEER. 
IX crdsrto obtain liquor which may be 
fubftituted in the place of beer, take 
rye or wheaten bran, and boil it in foft water; then ftrain it, and fill a barrel with 
it; afterwards diftufe a leaven, eight days 
old, in it, and, if the weather is hot, fermen- 
tation will take place in lefs than twenty- 
four hours 5 as fobn as tlie foam that arifes 
through the bung-hole begins to fink, flop 
it up oarefully, and let the liquor reft for 
fome days, that it may become clear. 
When the bran has been hindered from ac- 
quiring any bad tafte, this liquor is plea- 
fant enough, has a vinous and acidulous 
tafte j it is, in ftiort, the lemonade of the 
poor inhabitants of the country. 
So eafily is water made to acquire vinous 
properties, and to quench thirft, that we 
need not rob the cattle of their bran a lit- 
tle honey or fugar, a few faccharine roots 
diluted in a good deal of water, will fuf- 
fice. 
FINIS.