St. George, Utah was named in honor of Mormon Apostle George A. Smith, also known as the "Potato Saint" because he urged early settlers to eat raw, unpeeled potatoes to cure scurvy. This saved many pioneers from sickness and death.
Scurvy is caused by a lack of vitamin C. It was common among sailors and other people deprived of fresh fruits and vegetables for long periods of time.
Isn't it wonderful that our Heavenly Father has made available to us various ways of meeting our needs. When citrus fruits can't be shipped in from florida or fruits and vegetables can't be grown in the frozen snow, there are other ways to get our vitamin C.
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2 comments:
Yes I am grateful! I did know the story about George and I think it's very fascinating that he ate the peels and his family got sick. Goes to show that things that taste bad can save our life!
Kristen is referring to the story we heard at the Brigham Young home in St. George. Food was very scarce and George A. Smith being a good father gave the best part of the potato to his family and he just ate the peelings.(What a man!)
All the family became very sick, yet he didn't. He figured it must have been some nutrients in the peelings. He encouraged others to eat the whole potato including the skins. That why he was called the "Potato Saint".
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