What Did Sailors Use for Scurvy: The Historical Remedies

November 27, 2025 •

3 min read

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.

Quick Summary

This article explores the historical remedies used by sailors to treat scurvy, detailing the pivotal experiments of James Lind using citrus fruits and the eventual recognition of vitamin C deficiency as the cause. It also covers the contributions of other mariners and naval policies.

Key Points

Scurvy Cause: The lack of fresh fruits and vegetables led to severe vitamin C deficiency among sailors on long voyages, causing scurvy.
Pivotal Trial: In 1747, James Lind demonstrated that citrus fruits cured scurvy through one of the first recorded clinical trials.
Captain Cook's Method: Captain James Cook successfully prevented scurvy on his voyages by enforcing strict hygiene, making frequent port stops for fresh provisions, and carrying sauerkraut.
Royal Navy's Solution: The Royal Navy officially adopted lemon juice rations in 1795, drastically reducing scurvy outbreaks and giving rise to the nickname "limeys".
Vitamin C Discovery: The underlying cause was not fully understood until the 20th century, when vitamin C was identified as the essential nutrient required to prevent the disease.

The Scourge of Scurvy

Scurvy is a clinical syndrome caused by a severe deficiency of vitamin C (ascorbic acid), essential for collagen synthesis. For centuries, sailors on long voyages suffered from this disease due to a lack of fresh fruits and vegetables in their diet of salted meat and preserved biscuits. Without vitamin C, the body's tissues deteriorate, leading to fatigue, bleeding gums, tooth loss, and poor wound healing, potentially becoming fatal in advanced stages.

Life Aboard: A Diet Destined for Deficiency

During the age of sail, a sailor's diet focused on preservation rather than nutrition. Common provisions included hardtack, salted meats, dried peas, oatmeal, beer, and water – none of which provided the necessary vitamins. This nutrient-poor diet, coupled with poor hygiene, fostered scurvy and other illnesses.

Early and Ineffective Cures

Before understanding the dietary link, various ineffective and sometimes harmful remedies were attempted, such as bloodletting, elixir of vitriol, medicinal pastes, and even drinking seawater.

The Dawn of Modern Medicine: James Lind's Clinical Trial

In 1747, naval surgeon James Lind conducted a groundbreaking clinical trial aboard HMS Salisbury. He divided twelve scurvy-afflicted sailors into six pairs, each receiving a different daily supplement, including cider, elixir of vitriol, vinegar, seawater, a medicinal paste, and, for the final pair, two oranges and a lemon. The citrus group showed rapid recovery within six days. Despite publishing his findings in 1753, widespread adoption by the Admiralty was slow.

Captain Cook's Contributions

Captain James Cook is recognized for practically demonstrating scurvy prevention on his lengthy voyages, such as his 1772-1775 circumnavigation, during which no crew members died from the disease. His methods included strict hygiene, stocking sauerkraut (which contains some vitamin C), and making frequent stops for fresh food. He also used malt and wort, mistakenly believing they were curative.

The Royal Navy's Adoption of Citrus

The Royal Navy finally mandated daily lemon juice rations in 1795, a policy enforced by Admiral Lord St. Vincent and Gilbert Blane. This significantly reduced scurvy cases. A later switch to West Indian limes with lower vitamin C content led to a resurgence of scurvy, particularly on Arctic expeditions, a confusion that lasted until vitamin C was isolated in the 20th century. The practice of issuing lime juice earned British sailors the nickname "limeys".

Comparison of Scurvy Remedies


Method	Type	Effectiveness	Reason for Effectiveness/Ineffectiveness
Citrus Fruit	Nutritional	High	Rich source of Vitamin C (ascorbic acid).
Sauerkraut	Nutritional	Moderate	Cabbage fermented in brine; retains some vitamin C.
Spruce Beer	Herbal	Low-Moderate	Some varieties contained herbs with minor amounts of vitamin C.
Elixir of Vitriol	Chemical	None	Mixture of sulfuric acid and alcohol, had no nutritional value.
Bloodletting	Medical	None	Based on outdated medical theory, actually weakened patients.
Salted Meats	Dietary	None	Preservation methods removed or destroyed vitamin C.

Conclusion: The Long Road to a Simple Answer

The history of scurvy among sailors highlights the progression of medical understanding, from ineffective remedies to evidence-based solutions. The eventual widespread use of citrus fruits, rich in vitamin C, proved to be the key. While scurvy is now rare due to access to fresh produce, the historical struggle underscores the critical role of nutrition. For more information, visit the Royal Museums Greenwich.

Frequently Asked Questions

Scurvy is a disease caused by a severe deficiency of vitamin C (ascorbic acid). The lack of this vitamin, necessary for collagen production, leads to weakened tissues, bleeding gums, fatigue, and other severe symptoms.

Sailors frequently got scurvy due to their prolonged reliance on non-perishable preserved foods like hardtack and salted meats, which contain no vitamin C. Long voyages without fresh fruit or vegetables depleted their bodies' vitamin C reserves.

No, despite Lind's conclusive experiment in 1747 demonstrating the effectiveness of citrus fruits, it took 48 years for the Royal Navy to officially issue lemon juice rations to all sailors. Bureaucracy and conflicting theories delayed widespread adoption.

Captain Cook prevented scurvy not by relying on a single cure, but through a comprehensive approach. This included enforcing strict hygiene, providing rations of sauerkraut, and prioritizing frequent shore stops to acquire fresh foods.

The effectiveness waned around the 1860s when the Royal Navy switched from lemons to limes from the West Indies. These limes had significantly less vitamin C than lemons, and their juice was often improperly stored, diminishing its anti-scurvy properties.

The term "limey" originated in the 19th century as slang for British sailors. It came from their practice of carrying and consuming lime juice, which was issued by the Royal Navy as a mandatory daily ration to prevent scurvy.

Some sailors inadvertently protected themselves by eating ship's rats, which can synthesize their own vitamin C. Additionally, in Arctic expeditions, eating raw or fresh meat, particularly internal organs, proved effective as animals like seals contain enough vitamin C to prevent scurvy.