Category: Naval history

For centuries, scurvy was a maritime plague, killing more sailors than warfare; during George Anson's 1740 voyage, more than 80% of his crew died of the disease. Understanding **how does the navy prevent scurvy** is a story of scientific discovery, bureaucratic inertia, and eventually, the triumph of nutrition.

Scurvy, a disease caused by a severe vitamin C deficiency, was a devastating scourge that is estimated to have killed over two million sailors throughout naval history. For centuries, seafaring crews used a variety of remedies and provisions, with varying degrees of success, in their long fight to find reliable sources of vitamin C while at sea.

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.