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Scurvy Paperback – July 14, 2005

by Stephen Bown (Author)

53 ratings

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Scurvy took a terrible toll in the Age of Sail, killing more sailors than were lost in all sea battles combined. The threat of the disease kept ships close to home and doomed those vessels that ventured too far from port. The willful ignorance of the royal medical elite, who endorsed ludicrous medical theories based on speculative research while ignoring the life-saving properties of citrus fruit, cost tens of thousands of lives and altered the course of many battles at sea. The cure for scurvy ranks among the greatest of human accomplishments, yet its impact on history has, until now, been largely ignored.

From the earliest recorded appearance of the disease in the sixteenth century, to the eighteenth century, where a man had only half a chance of surviving the scourge, to the early nineteenth century, when the British conquered scurvy and successfully blockaded the French and defeated Napoleon, Scurvy is a medical detective story for the ages, the fascinating true story of how James Lind (the surgeon), James Cook (the mariner), and Gilbert Blane (the gentleman) worked separately to eliminate the dreaded affliction.

Scurvy is an evocative journey back to the era of wooden ships and sails, when the disease infiltrated every aspect of seafaring life: press gangs "recruit" mariners on the way home from a late night at the pub; a terrible voyage in search of riches ends with a hobbled fleet and half the crew heaved overboard; Cook majestically travels the South Seas but suffers an unimaginable fate. Brimming with tales of ships, sailors, and baffling bureaucracy, Scurvy is a rare mix of compelling history and classic adventure story.

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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Brown tells the story well, and he presents a vivid picture of life aboard ship during the age of sail -- brutal captains; dangerous work; rotting food; filthy, overcrowded living quarters; and the ultimate horror, scurvy." - Publishers Weekly

About the Author

STEPHEN R. BOWN was born in Ottawa and graduated in history from the University of Alberta. He has a special interest in the history of science and exploration. His books include The Naturalists: Scientific Travelers in the Golden Age of Natural History and the internationally successful Scurvy: How a Surgeon, a Mariner, and a Gentleman Solved the Greatest Medical Mystery of the Age of Sail. He lives in the Canadian Rockies with his wife and two young children.

Paperback: 276 pages
Publisher: Griffin; First edition (August 1, 2005)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0312313926
ISBN-13: 978-0312313920
Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.7 x 8.2 inches
Shipping Weight: 14.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Customer Reviews: 52 customer reviews
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,216,883 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #973 in Sociological Study of Medicine
- #14379 in Historical Study (Books)
- #1685 in History of Medicine (Books)

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5 star		46%
4 star		34%
3 star		12%
2 star		8%
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52 customer reviews

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mikey d.

Scurvy Ravages Your Navy - must be yellow or black bile causing it !!!

November 8, 2018

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

It was the fortuitous Gentleman who made all the difference, a lucky stroke quite outside frozen British bureaucracy, and this is a great read. The history of the dogmatic thinking within the British Medical community is revealed here and to our modern minds, trained at least a little in the scientific methods, it's agonizing to read influential Doctors layout their favorite theory about the cause or cure for Scurvy, citing no evidence whatsoever. How many thousands of British Sailors suffered badly and died from their lack of interest in the well-being of their staff. This reminded me of the same British stubbornness having to do with exploration of the South Pole, during the late 1800s and early 1900s, when the leading lights of the day in England deliberately choosing to ignore the latest advances in Polar Exploration technology, using Eskimo dogs and skis for snow-journeys, by the Norwegians, as documented in The Last Place on Earth by Roland Huntford. Speaking of which....this a very enjoyable, well-written book, which states that by 1799 it was official British Naval policy that all British Sailors and the hired help on long journeys MUST have 8 oz. of lemon juice every day, and this was accepted as preventing and curing Scurvy. Then why does Robert Falcon Scott, a hundred years later, NOT know about this and takes NO preventative measures, and, Scurvy becomes one of the many factors, including having feet with frostbite and gangrene, that contributed to the death of all five summit members, and, friends and family afterwards purposely omitted passages from his own diary, before publishing Scott's book, which indicated that he did not pay attention to prevention or treatment of Scurvy, and as Captain of the ship he was ultimately responsible. A few generations later and the whole story came out, but I'm puzzled.....as a British Navy Officer, how did he not know about this "official policy" issued Navy-wide in 1796? I was hoping to find an answer to that question by ordering this book, and this was not addressed, so the mystery remains unsolved, nonetheless, I found this story to be a very enjoyable read.

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Douglas

Well researched topic of scurvy during the age of sail

February 28, 2019

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

Stephen Bown does an admirable job researching scurvy during the age of sail and telling the impact this disease had on nations that plied the sea for months at a time without making landfall, and the efforts of those who sought answers for the origin of scurvy as well as it's cure.

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1R5

Interesting Rare Knowledge

December 17, 2013

Format: Audio CassetteVerified Purchase

Contains a great deal of medical and nautical history in a very palatable format...The hideous conditions on sailing ships (not the halcyon noble existence suggested by majestic artwork). Entire fleets lost to disease. How cures were found then lost to social, scientific, and political hierarchy. History not on History Channel or in general curricula. History you won't find elsewhere unless you are specifically a student of nautical history and medical science of the era...very interesting and informative read or listen...

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mwreview

"Scurvy was everywhere--an ever-present arm of the Grim Reaper"

August 18, 2008

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

During the Age of Sail from the time of Columbus to the steam era of the mid 19th century, scurvy was the biggest killer of men at sea, being responsible for more deaths than storms, ship wrecks, combat, and all other diseases combined. It presented a slow and agonizing death to those afflicted. It caused the degeneration of connective tissues that led to wobbly teeth, the resurfacing of old wounds and injuries, and weakness and lethargy that doom the sailor to find his resting place and await his demise. Stephen Brown's book covers the effects of scurvy on the sailor as well as on history and the long process that led to the disease finally being conquered.

Scurvy is caused by a diet deficiency of Vitamin C found mainly in ascorbic fresh fruits and vegetables (lemons being high in ascorbic acid). The maddening part about the history of scurvy, as Brown explains, is how the use of fresh fruits and vegetables had been used stave off the disease various times (even back in the 1500s) but they were not adopted as an official cure. The reasons that prevented the official acknowledgment of the true cure for scurvy are many but, in part, the delays were due to a lack of controlled studies and a clinical approach to medical research, the habit of overcrowding ships with men in anticipation of replacing the dead instead of preventing the disease, disinterest in finding a cure during certain periods of time, and politics that favored certain alleged cures (i.e. wort of malt) that actually had no effect on the disease.

Brown looks at the works of surgeon James Lind, the famous Captain James Cook, and Gilbert Blane, a physician of high social-standing, to present his story on how the medical mystery of scurvy was finally solved. The author explains the importance of the disease on world events, particularly on the American Revolution and the defeat of Napoleon.

Although the book, including epilogue, is only 217 pages, it actually could have been even more condensed as Brown repeats information a lot. Just when a point seems thoroughly covered, he'll explain it again. Sometimes the story gets bogged down by conjecture, particularly when it was discussed why wort of malt continued to be recommended as a cure (pp. 167-69).

Despite the repetition, the book is informative and well-researched. It includes illustrations, an extensive bibliography, source notes, time line, index, and an appendix which lists the amount of Vitamin C found in certain foods commonly consumed during the age of sail. This appendix is a very interesting and useful addition to the book.

2 people found this helpful

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William R. Todd-Mancillas (Name includes hyphen and camptalized M)

Excellent, detailed, informative medical case study.

August 17, 2012

Format: Audio CDVerified Purchase

This is an informative, interesting history of scurry's discovery and treatment. The "discovery" of vitamin C as both a prophylactic and cure is clearly explained. As such, it is an excellent teaching aid for those interested in learning
about and teaching scientific methods. The control and experimental conditions (ships on which vitamin C was not made
available vs. those on which C was available) are memorable and accurate.

Moreover, the narration is clear, varied, and entertaining. Overall, an excellent audiobook.

2 people found this helpful

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