In 1979 about 78 students mysteriously fell ill at a small boys school in London. While the initial symptoms started with vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain, the incident quickly alarmed everyone when several patients slipped into coma. Not only that, the patients were seen to have violent fits of fever along with convulsions. Signs of depression in the central nervous system and peripheral circulatory collapse were also noticed.
Can you believe all of a sudden few healthy students falling ill simultaneously? And it was so severe that most of them were comatose?
Do you know who is the culprit?
Guess!
Well, the answer is ( drumroll please)
Potatoes!
Yes, you heard me right! a bag full of potatoes was the culprit.
How?
Well, if you have already read the article on poisonous plants, you would have guessed by now, the potatoes were high in solanine concentration.
An investigation found out the bag of potatoes was kept in storage for over a year. It so happened that some parts of the potatoes turned green, indicating the formation of chlorophyll due to sunlight. The green parts of the plant are usually high in solanine concentration. Thus, those parts are eliminated or the potatoes are not used for cooking at all. but in this case, those parts were not excluded and so the results were drastic.
Potato belongs to the Solanaceae family, or better known as the nightshade family, the main toxic of this family is Solanine, which is a glycoalkaloid. Solanine poisoning can cause diarrhea, stomach pain, headache, nausea, hypothermia, and fever while extreme effects can be respiratory problems, convulsions, and even death.
In 1899, 56 german soldiers suffered from solanine poisoning after having boiled potatoes. Though all of them recovered some were observed with partial paralysis. In 1922, an epidemic broke out in Germany whose roots were abnormal content of solanine in potatoes. In 1983, 61 of 109 students and staff at a school in Alberta, fell ill after consuming baked potatoes, that was bitter and green.
The list does not end here!
In 1918, 61 people from 18 different families in Glasglow suffered from solanine poisoning, one of the victims was a five-year-old boy, who didn't survive. The cause of solanine poisoning was found out to be a batch of bad potatoes that had five to six times more solanine content than normal. The case is discussed in the book " an investigation of Solanine poisoning" by S.G Willimont, he cites that that solanine poisoning is not so rare as authorities claimed to be.
Potatoes may look innocent but they belong to the same family as nightshade.
Nowadays, the potatoes and other nightshade plants are checked before selling in markets. The number of Solanine poisoning has decreased after it's awareness but still sometimes there could be a risk of poisoning, so one should check the potato before cooking. Now I can't tell you the same about potato chips or French fries that you buy but most of the times restaurants and companies check their products, or else they would be sued. So no need to go on a diet.
According to a British medical journal, solanine poisoning is high during a food shortage. In times of food scarcity people try to survive on whatever they get, so if they find potatoes with green parts, they won't mind having them. But poison does not see your adversity, it just does it's work. The results of this incidents turn out to be disastrous as the people who suffer from this situation, don't even know what those potatoes could do if ingested and by the time they know it's too late.
Thus, the underprivileged section of society, easily becomes target of these killer potatoes.
Blue rose belles
( Archie)
Reference corner
http://bluerosebelles.blogspot.com/2021/03/poison-plants.html
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/green-potatoes
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