Scurvy: How Can Science Help Prevent Dietary Deficiency Diseases?

Dr. Joseph Lister was able to reintroduce cleaniness to the medical field. He used carbolic acid to dress a wound to reduce the rate of infection. This relates to Louis Pasteur because the both of them believed in microbes being the reason for disease so they enforce washing your hands and boiling instruments.

C, which made the sailors resistant to scurvy. On the other hand, the French sailors were given a

Dr. John Snow was known as an intelligent physician who had a background with anesthesia advancements. He believed that cholera was a waterborne disease and that it was contaminated by the sewage. Snow’s goal was to convince others about the issue and stop it from spreading. His theory about the intestinal disease, in which was published in 1849 in an article, was laughed at and many doctors believed that his idea was “wrong” and they continued to believe that it was airborne. He wanted to prove many wrong and begin to further research and experiment the disease.

Before the 18th century, medicine had not advanced beyond the practices of bloodletting and balancing the four humors of the body. These medical practices were not effective and did more harm than good. It was not until the Scientific Revolution that physicians slowly started to learn more about the human body and how functions. The numerous advancements of medicine in the 18th century and resulting benefits to European Society are reflected in the lack of medical practices before the 1700s, the creation of the smallpox vaccine, and improved techniques.

Most concoctions that were given were just remedies to relieve symptoms as there is no cure -- even to this day. “Headaches were relieved by rose, lavender, sage and bay. Sickness or nausea was treated with wormwood, mint, and balm. Lung problems were treated with liquorice and comfrey. Vinegar was used as a cleansing agent as it was believed that it would kill disease.” The shortcomings of medical science were highlighted by the Black Plague, it caused people to change their focus. People became aware of the need of surgeons and focus on human bodies different various states of sickness and

“Louis Pasteur – Germ Theory of Disease” Inventors About. Com. 2014. Retrieved on January 13 2014 from Biography.com: http://inventors.about.com/od/pstartinventors/a/Louis_Pasteur.htm

Born on October 4, 1716 in Scotland, James Lind was an english physician. Through many experiments in his clinical trial, Lind was able to prove that citrus fruits could prevent scurvy, which was a disease that was caused by the deficiency of vitamin C. Lind changed the face of history because he showed the medical world that there was a cure for a disease (one less disease to worry about).Born on October 4, 1716 in Scotland, James Lind was an english physician. Through many experiments in his clinical trial, Lind was able to prove that citrus fruits could prevent scurvy, which was a disease that was caused by the deficiency of vitamin C. Lind changed the face of history because he showed the medical world that there was a cure for a disease

The disease was first noted in 1786 by Caleb Hillier Parry 1755- 1822, physician from General Hospital, Bath, England. His account was published posthumously in 1825.

Imagine having swollen gums, tooth loss, fatigue, bruising, and exposure to new disease, only to die a few weeks after. With education, medicinal practices and accessibility to resources, the risk of scurvy proves less viable in our modern society. However, scurvy dominated the outbreaks and contributed to the onset of other pathogens during the Middle Ages and the Age of Sail. With over two million died during voyages, the disease impacted the ability to explore the world, the economy and ended up wiping out new colonies established from the Old World (Harthorne, 1). Caused by a lack of education, mundane conditions and diet, Scurvy became an epidemic between 1500 and 1800. Thus, scurvy ended up impacting the Columbian exchange and the role of history.

Scurvy (a vitamin C deficiency) had plagued the world for multiple centuries until actions were finally taken in attempt to find an antidote. Scurvy is a disease which results from insufficient intake of vitamin C and leads to the spots on the skin, spongy gums and bleeding from almost all mucous membranes. Vitamin C deficiency and scurvy was hastened in the age of sail because of the rigorous working conditions for sailors. The diet of sailors during the age of sail was obviously the main factor in the plight of scurvy. As Vitamin C cannot be produced internally by humans, it must be ingested through the diet. By examining the history of vitamin C, one can fully appreciate the advances made in its research. Surprisingly, vitamin C’s importance

Scurvy is a disease that has been around since ancient times. Originally, there were many different ideas about what caused scurvy. Genetics, toxins, the environment, and infections were among many of the explanations for scurvy. Of all the people afflicted with scurvy, the most numerous were sailors. Surgeons and doctors out at sea with the sailors were among the first to be able to describe the disease in clinical detail and find a treatment that was effective in clearing up scurvy. Sir James Lind, a surgeon for the British Navy, has been credited with finding an easy way to treat scurvy; with lemons and oranges. While scurvy was extremely common while out at sea, cases still came about on land as well. The people most effected by scurvy on land were civil war soldiers, gold rushers in California, and Irish and English populations during the Great Potato Famine. Scientists discovered an antiscorbutic factor that citrus fruits and potatoes carried in 1931. This factor was

Vitamin C also known as ascorbic acid is needed for growth and maintenance of healthy tissues, especially skin, blood vessels, bones, gums, teeth. Vitamin C aids in resistance against infection and healing of wounds. It also helps the body absorb iron from food. Vitamin C can be found in green vegetables, potatoes, tomatoes and citrus fruits such as oranges and lemon. A lack of vitamin C can cause scurvy, iron deficiency and poor wound healing. A healthy diet

Scurvy is a nutritional disease that stems from a lack of Vitamin C. I chose this as my topic because I have always been interested in history and how historically on ships it was difficult to have fresh fruit aboard because they would spoil on long trips and instead they would have meats and foods that could be preserved with heavy amounts of salt. Scurvy was first documented as a disease by Hippocrates and was discovered by ancient Egyptians in 1550 but people would often forget eating Vitamin C is an effective cure for the disease. In the 13th century people often suffered from Scurvy. Eventually the explorers wizened up to this and the Portuguese planted fruit trees and vegetables that they could harvest on their way home from journeys

The Age of Discovery was fueled by molecules of the spice trade, but the lack of another molecule almost ended it. Over 90% of his crew didn’t survive Magellan’s circumnavigation due to scurvy, a disease caused by a deficiency of the ascorbic acid molecule, dietary vitamin C. Symptoms such as excessive bruising, muscle pain, loss of teeth, diarrhea, and many more horrible symptoms come from scurvy. One main symptoms is depression that happens at an early age, but mainly you were exhausted and had sores that did not heal. Scurvy is an ancient disease. Scurvy became a commonplace at sea due to the development of more efficient sets of sails and fully rigged ships as longer voyages were made. The access of fresh water as they were on their voyages meant that scurvy was seldom a major problem.

We live in a society in which we are in a state of constant fear of diseases. From when we are young we are taught repeatedly to wash our hands before every meal and to eat an apple daily. Moreover, we are catechized on a regular basis to bundle up so we do not catch a cold or pneumonia. Likewise, our doctors advise us to visit them annually to make sure we don’t have deficiency related disorders such as scurvy or anemia. What if there is a vitamin that could aid in preventing the aforementioned illnesses? Would it not be worth a try? Consider this an introduction to vitamin C! Details on this “wonder vitamin” are elaborated in the subsequent paragraphs!