Scurvy was the scourge of sailors for thousands of years. An estimated 2 million sailors died of the diseaseFinding the Cure for Scurvy article on the US Naval Institute website between the 16th and 18th centuries alone, often decimating entire ship crews.
Scurvy is a dietary deficiency caused by a lack of vitamin C. The body does not naturally make vitamin C, so it has to come from foods rich in the vitamin such as citrus or from dietary supplements. Before modern refrigeration, sailors on long voyages relied mostly on salted or nonperishable food and had no regular access to fresh green vegetables or fruits that contain the vitamin.
Limey, of course, in one of the popular clichés Americans (British and French descendants) use in debates. But the article is an interesting read.
Long story short, I was reading an article and scurvy still exists today, so looking into vitamin C deficiency, I found the above article.
The bit that stood out where I laughed out loud was -
The U.S. Navy continued to struggle with scurvy into the 19th century even though the Royal Navy cracked the mystery of the disease in the 18th century thanks to surgeon James Lind. The British began storing citrus fruits on board all of its ships. The British Navy gave its sailors limes or lemon juice rations to ward off scurvy – earning them the nickname of "Limeys" among the American sailors who didn't know about or believe in the preventative treatment.
Why did I laugh?
