The Deadliest Enemy (II)

The era of oceanic navigation was concurrent with the prevalence of scurvy, often referred to as the “plague of the sea.” Prior to the 14th-15th centuries, sailors used to navigate fairly close to the coast, and only brief periods of time were spent far from land and fresh food (and vitamin C).

Remedies to alleviate symptoms and to cure scurvy were known, but largely ignored. For instance, Chinese used to cultivate ginger in pots on their ships since the fifth century, an infusion of spruce needles provided by native populations proved able to cure French explorers in Quebec, lemon juice kept Captain Lancaster’s crew healthy, and the medicinal virtues of the Drymis winteri bark to deal with scurvy were discovered by Drake’s Vice-Admiral John Winter.

If knowledge of how to prevent and cure scurvy has been present in various historical periods and regions, why didn’t official medicine recognize it for such a long time?

Stephen Bown, the author of “Scurvy: How a surgeon, a mariner, and a gentleman solved the greatest medical mystery of the age of sail” primarily attributes this oversight to the narrow-minded stance of the scientific authorities of that era, particularly within the British context.

They relied on unfounded theories related to humoral imbalance or putrefaction, and medical philosophies looked for comprehensive explanations for bodily functions and diseases. This emphasis on unified theories may have disregarded the importance of specific nutritional factors in preventing scurvy. Additionally, the hierarchical structure of the medical profession and the reluctance to question prevailing beliefs hindered the dissemination and acceptance of alternative knowledge on scurvy prevention and treatment.

As a result, despite the existence of effective practices used by sailors and native populations, it took an extended period for official medicine to recognize and adopt these methods in the prevention and cure of scurvy.

It was only in 1747 that the first clinical trial was conducted by the Scottish naval surgeon James Lind on sailors in the Salisbury. His experiment tested the effects of various supplements on twelve members of the crew suffering from scurvy. After few days, the men supplied with orange and lemon were completely recovered. Despite this significant finding, Lind’s recommendations were largely overlooked, as they clashed with the prevailing theories of the time.

It took some decades more for the antiscorbutic properties of citrus juice to be fully recognized and for the devastating toll of the disease that characterized the Age of Discovery to come an end. [Silvana Munzi]