Category: Maritime history

During the 18th century, scurvy killed more sailors than warfare, making it one of the most feared diseases at sea. The relentless struggle to overcome this plague led to a series of discoveries that show how did sailors combat scurvy through innovative, if often misunderstood, means.

Between 1600 and 1800, scurvy killed over one million sailors, more than died in all naval combat combined. To combat this devastating disease, sailors experimented with many different methods and provisions, seeking a cure for what did sailors use for scurvy.

For centuries, scurvy was one of the greatest perils of the sea, claiming more lives than storms or naval battles. Before the link between vitamin C and the disease was understood, sailors dealt with scurvy through a mix of folk remedies, unproven medical theories, and, eventually, scientific experimentation.

Scurvy killed an estimated two million sailors between the 16th and 18th centuries, claiming more lives than storms, shipwrecks, and combat combined. Understanding **why was scurvy a common problem for sailors?** lies in the monotonous, nutrient-deficient diets of long sea voyages, a historical puzzle that took centuries to solve.