Scurvy is a dietary deficiency of Vitamin C (ascorbic acid). Its symptoms were recorded as early as 1550 BC by the Egyptians. In 1746 James Lind, a British naval surgeon, figured out that oranges and lemons were able to cure scurvy. There was a high incidence of Scurvy among British sailors and there was a sharp decline once lemon juice was administered on board ships. Individuals during the 19^th century who experience the Great Potato Famine, armies of the Civil War, California Gold Rush communities, and Arctic explorers were prominent victims of “land” scurvy.

James Lind James Lind attending to a sailor

In 1650, Francis Glisson observed the co-occurrence of scurvy in infants with rickets. Even with Glisson’s findings infantile scurvy was not reported for another 200 years. There was an increase of infantile scurvy in the United States and Britain in the 19^th century because of the consumption of heated milk and proprietary foods deficient in Vitamin C. This was noticed by Alfred Hess in 1914 and was cured by administering raw milk, orange juice, or potatoes.

Francis Glisson

The ability to synthesize and make Vitamin C is lacking in the human body. The human body then depends on exogenous dietary sources to get the Vitamin C it needs.

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