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Long voyages without a regular source of Vitamin C in their diet is to blame.
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∙ 11y ago
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Scurvy is an inadequate production of what?
Scurvy is caused by Vitamin C deficiency (which is why so many sailors used to get it: there was no fresh fruit on a long voyage).
Why did so many sailors die of scurvy in the 16th and17th century?
They died because the didn`t have enough vitimin c
Scurvy was called a sailor's disease?
Scurvy is a disease that occurs in the mouth when the body lacks vitamins, specifically vitamin C. Before the invention of fridges and freezers and many other preservatives, there was no way to keep food from going bad other than salt (which admittedly, didn't work very well). Sailors often went on long journeys exploring or trading, and any fruits or vegetables they had would go bad long before being able to restock again.
In the 2nd world war where did the word limeys come from?
The word Limey dates to long before the second world war and refers to the fact that British Navy Sailors used to eat Limes (and Lemons) to avoid scurvy. Limey is a nickname that was originally used for sailors in the Royal Navy. When more sailors were incapacitated or died through scurvy than in battle a solution had to be found. Scurvy is a vitamin deficiency disease, namely vitamin C. As lemons were a rich source of this they were initially used, but proved too expensive for the government and the Admialty. A cheaper answer was limes, so they were given to the sailors. Hence the name limey
Why were sailors so often scurvy victims?
Scurvy is a disease caused by improper nutrition, namely, lack of vitamin C. Eventually, ship's captains realized that eating citrus fruits would prevent scurvy, and from then on, limes and lemons were taken on voyages. It was common to hear a land lubber call a sailor a, "limejuicer".
The vitamin deficiency disease scurvy is also known as sailor's disease why?
Because back in the days of long sea voyages the food the could carry aboard didn't have enough vitamins in it (particularly vitamin C) so the sailors tended to get scurvy.
How was scurvy treated in 1749?
In Great Britain, sailors were given limes to eat - when aboard long-distance sailing vessels. Thus, they were called "Limeys". The vitamin C in limes prevented scurvy - as this is a disease which results from vitamin C deficiency. Nowadays, just eating some citrus fruits and/or taking vitamin C supplements prevent scurvy from occurring. Scurvy is very rare - in the United States, today. It does occur, however, in less developed parts of the world, especially in Africa.
What was life on a caravel like for explorers?
During the times of Magellan, life on a caravel was very miserable. Sailors had a limited food supply of hardtack, a cracker made out of flour, which was usually vile and infested with rat feces and urine. The hammock had not yet been invented before columbus, so sailors slept on the deck. Sailors suffered from malnutrition, starvation, disease, and scurvy.
What was the cure for scurvvy?
For centuries the scurvy was the most deadly disease amongst the sailor's, who waned to go to India. So many times all the sailors might have become dead in the high seas and you do not know. Then the 'Cape of good hope' gave the life to the sailors. They used to get stock of fresh vegetables from there and the scurvy was controlled. Later on the anti-scurvy factor was found out. Now you may find the same disease in lonely elder persons only, probably. You can give them one gram of vitamin C every month, under your supervision and can have nice time for you also.
Why is scurvy not a problem now like it was before?
Voyages are normally shorter now, so there's less chance of developing scurvy - which we now understand is caused by a lack of vitamin C. In the past, maritime travellers rarely had access to fruit, fresh vegetables, or fresh meat. Without these, they had no way to get vitamin C and so would come down with scurvy.
How do you prevention scurvy?
scurvy is a lack of vitamin c so you should eat lemons, limes and Oranges to prevent it.
Why were British soldiers called limies?
Prior to the 1700s, sailors often developed the disease scurvy, which would afflict them after long times at sea when eating only preserved foods. By the early 1700's, the British navy had determined that giving sailors a daily ration of lemon juice or lime juice could prevent the disease. Scurvy continued to be a problem until the late 1700s, as some voyages were so long that the ships weren't able to carry enough fresh fruit. By the early 1800's, the term "Limey" had come into use as a pejorative term for British sailors, and the term spread to British soldiers and then to anybody from Britain.
