Sunday, March 23, 2008

Potato Famine and Easter Bunny

As soon as the toddler woke up, she asked with some concern, "How did the easter bunny get into the house?" I didn't know how to answer. Then she told me how he woke her up in the night.

3 yr old, coloring: "He's a little boy and he is soooooo dead."
Me: "He's what?"
her: "He ate a potato and it made him so dead."
me: "um...what?"
her: "When you eat a potato it makes you dead."

Happy easter, you've been warned!

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

That is why all the Irish left Ireland during the famon! All they had to eat was potato. That is why our family is in the US! That is the rest of that story. If you do not believe me ask my sister or your aunt (Judy), she knows what I don't. That must be what happens when you eat so much spoiled spiced cabage. So next time she sees a french fry or potato she will not eat it?

Scooter said...

The bottom article is the most important. If Ame' met a ghost of someone who had died by solanine poisoning, it would have to be a little boy, because he would have had to have ingested an oz of poisoned potato for every 6.25 pounds of body mass. Ask her how big the boy is, and you should have a pretty good idea of whether he could have died by potato by comparing the weight. At 4 or 5, a boy would weigh about 30 pounds, not taking into account historical changes in weight and stature - so about 5 oz. of potatoes would have been sufficent. A medium potato is around 173 grams, which is in the neighborhood of 6-7 ounces, perfect for someone in that age. So...ask Ame'...was the boy about your age/size? If she says a little older, you're still in the ballpark. Nice ghost.

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Solanine is a glycoalkaloid poison found in species of the nightshade family, such as potatoes. It can occur naturally in any part of the plant, including the leaves, fruit, and tubers. It is very toxic even in small quantities. Solanine has both fungicidal and pesticidal properties, and it is one of the plant's natural defenses.

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Seventy eight schoolboys became ill after eating potato at lunch on the second day of the autumn term. Seventeen of the boys required admission to hospital. The gastrointestinal, circulatory, neurological and dermatological findings and the results of laboratory investigations were in keeping with solanine poisoning.

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While death from potato poisoning is rare, eight ounces of a green potato can contain high enough levels of solanine to affect a 50 pound person, and 16 ounces could impact a 100 pound person. Symptoms of glycoalkaloid poisoning include gastrointestinal upset, headache, fever, convulsions, drowsiness, rapid breathing, delirium, and coma. Three to six milligrams of solanine per kilogram of body mass can be fatal.

Mama Nabi said...

Wow. I don't know what's more disturbing to me... that the Toddler is convinced that potato kills people or that her uncle does have references to back up that Toddler theory. Hmmm, we may have to wonder what your brother's been reading to Toddler. :-D

Aw, Easter Bunny who wakes up kids in the middle of the night... it's sweet yet... no thanks!