Scurvy
Ahoy, mateys! Gather 'round, 'cause I've got a tale to tell ye about the scourge of the high seas: scurvy.
Back in the day, sailors would set sail for months on end, braving the treacherous waters and battling sea monsters (or so they claimed). They thought they were invincible, but there was one enemy they couldn't fight off: a lack of vitamin C.
You see, vitamin C is essential for a healthy diet, but back in the 18th century, nobody knew that. So, sailors would go for weeks without eating any fruits or vegetables, and as a result, they would develop scurvy. Scurvy is a nasty disease that causes fatigue, muscle weakness, and bleeding gums (will spare you the pictures). And let me tell you, nobody wants to be bleeding from their gums while they're trying to navigate a ship through a storm.
There are many old stories about scurvy. For example, the iconic explorer Vasco da Gama “may have lost as many as 100 of his 160 men to the affliction in his epic 1498 voyage” and many millions of sailors likely perished from it. But the funny thing is, nobody knew what was causing scurvy at first. They just thought it was some kind of curse or evil spirit, even in later centuries. So, they tried all sorts of remedies to get rid of it. Some sailors would drink sulfuric acid, thinking it would kill the evil spirits. Others would rub their gums with gunpowder, thinking it would scare the spirits away. Spoiler alert: it didn't work.
It wasn't until the 18th century that a Scottish physician named James Lind figured out that scurvy was caused by a lack of vitamin C. He conducted an experiment where he gave sailors different remedies, including oranges and lemons, and found that the ones who ate citrus fruit were less likely to develop scurvy. Fun fact : James Lind is historically seen as the father of naval medicine and a lemon tree is on the official crest of the Institute of Naval Medicine.
But even after this discovery, some sailors were still skeptical. They thought that lemons were too expensive, or that they wouldn't keep for long on a ship. So, they continued to suffer from scurvy for decades to come.
It wasn't until the 19th century that the British navy finally made it mandatory for sailors to eat limes (hence the term "limey" for British sailors). And let me tell you, those limes weren't just for show. They were the key to staying healthy on the high seas. Nowadays the simplest way to avoid this condition is to eat a balanced diet of foods that are high in vitamin C, such as citrus fruits, strawberries, kiwis, bell peppers, broccoli, and kale.
So, there you have it, folks. The history of scurvy is a cautionary tale about the importance of a balanced diet. Easiest way to avoid “the ravages of scurvy”? Follow your parent’s advice. EAT YOUR FRUITS AND VEGGIES KIDS. And if you're ever stranded on a desert island, be sure to stock up on some vitamin C-rich fruits. Otherwise, you might find yourself talking to evil spirits and rubbing gunpowder on your gums. And nobody wants that.
David I. Harvie . Limeys: The True Story of One Man's War against Ignorance, the Establishment, and the Deadly Scurvy. Phoenix Mill, U.K.: Sutton Publishing, 2002. vi + 314 pp. Ill. £14.99 (0-7509-2772-0).
Finding the Cure for Scurvy By Philip K. Allan
February 2021 Naval History Magazine Volume 35, Number 1
