Before a cure for scurvy was discovered, British ship owners expected that up to __ of the ship crew would die on long sea voyages. Group of answer choices 10% 25% 50% 75%
The correct answer and explanation is:
The correct answer is: 50%
Explanation (Approximately 300 words):
Before the cure for scurvy was discovered in the 18th century, British ship owners and naval authorities expected that up to 50% of a ship’s crew could die on long sea voyages due to the disease. Scurvy is caused by a deficiency of vitamin C (ascorbic acid), which is essential for the synthesis of collagen in humans. Without sufficient vitamin C, sailors developed symptoms such as fatigue, swollen gums, bleeding, and eventually death if untreated.
During long ocean voyages, especially those lasting several months, sailors had no access to fresh fruits or vegetables, the primary sources of vitamin C. Their diets mainly consisted of salted meats, hardtack, and dried legumes—foods that do not contain vitamin C. As a result, scurvy became a major cause of mortality among seafarers.
The British Navy eventually addressed the problem in the mid-1700s, thanks largely to the work of Dr. James Lind, who conducted one of the first clinical trials in 1747. He demonstrated that sailors given citrus fruits (lemons and oranges) recovered from scurvy, while those on other treatments did not. By the end of the 18th century, the Royal Navy adopted the practice of issuing lemon juice to sailors, and later lime juice (earning British sailors the nickname “limeys”). This dramatically reduced scurvy-related deaths and gave the British Navy a powerful advantage during the Age of Sail.
So, historically, ship owners did indeed expect up to 50% of their crew to perish on long voyages—a grim reality until the nutritional cause of scurvy was understood and addressed.
✅ Correct answer: 50%