Table of Contents
Why did sailors drink lime juice?
Today, it is known that the sailors’ scurvy was caused by vitamin C deficiency. Because fresh fruits and vegetables could not be stored on board, lime juice provided the vitamin C the sailors needed.
How did they discover the cure for scurvy?
James Lind is remembered as the man who helped to conquer a killer disease. His reported experiment on board a naval ship in 1747 showed that oranges and lemons were a cure for scurvy.
What was invented to treat sailors for scurvy?
During the Age of Sail, it was assumed that 50 percent of the sailors would die of scurvy on a major trip. A Scottish surgeon in the Royal Navy, James Lind, is generally credited with proving that scurvy can be successfully treated with citrus fruit in 1753….Prevention.
| Item | Vitamin C contents (mg) |
|---|---|
| Potato | 19.70 |
What food did sailors eat in the 1800s to avoid getting scurvy?
Sailing ships loaded up on citrus to stave off scurvy among their sailors.
How did sailors preserve limes?
Lauchlin Rose patented a method used to preserve citrus juice without alcohol in 1867, creating a concentrated drink known as Rose’s lime juice. The Merchant Shipping Act established in the year 1867 required all ships of the Royal Navy and Merchant Navy to provide a daily lime ration to sailors to prevent scurvy.
When was scurvy cured?
In 1753 Scottish naval surgeon James Lind showed that scurvy could be cured and prevented by ingestion of the juice of oranges and lemons.
Why was lemon juice used to cure scurvy?
The sailors thought that it was the acid content of the lemon juice that cured scurvy (vitamin C is also called ascorbic acid). Doctors thought that lime juice would work better because it has more acid than lemon juice, so they substituted lime juice for lemon juice on the English Royal Navy ships.
Why was limes added to Royal Navy sailors diet?
When the sailors began their voyage they had fresh fruits and vegetables on their ship. Fruits and vegetables are hard to keep fresh, so the sailors had to eat them right away. If the sailors were at sea for many months they would not have fruits and vegetables for most of this time. Why were limes added to Royal Navy sailors diet?
Scurvy was a huge problem for English sailors in the 1600s and 1700s. Because of what Dr. James Lind discovered, the Royal Navy made sure that all sailors had lemon juice to drink when they were at sea for longer than one month.
Why do sailors get scurvy from vitamin C?
If you guessed that it was from the vitamin C in the oranges and the lemon you ate, you are correct! The disease you and your fellow sailors were suffering from is scurvy. Scurvy is a disease caused by a vitamin C deficiency.