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Scurvy – a disease that first linked with seafaring. In the middle Ages she was trying to escape different and sometimes strange ways – rubbed urine out of physical exertion. But it turned out that the best rescues her from a lemon. Will there be scurvy people in the 21st century – read the material 24 of the channel.
Why is scurvy called the disease of “rotten teeth”
Mariners acquainted with the scurvy in the late 15th century. It was then that the Portuguese were on an expedition to the shores of India, under the auspices of Vasco da Gama. Long road died 55 of the 170 crew members.
Mysterious disease decimated the sailors accompanying horrible symptoms: pale skin, problems with nerves and teeth. They are sailors first rot, and then just loosened and fell out. At the same time the gums were swollen and very sore.
The Portuguese Explorer Vasco da Gama / Portrait of Gregory Lopes
Vasco da Gama without hesitation made the infected crew to use the worst method of the disease, to RUB the gums urine. Of course, it didn’t work: the teeth continue to rot, and people were dying.
How the French managed to defeat the disease
French Navigator Jacques Cartier famous for his expeditions in the 16th century to the shores of modern Canada. During a trip to North America he too was faced with this strange and unfamiliar disease. By April the French had buried 25 sailors.
From the entire crew, only four stayed on his feet. The mariners prayed because the other option at that time is not found. Salvation came from the shores of modern Canada, where the team landed. One of the local Indian chiefs advised Cartier to treat sailors in a decoction of pine and arborvitae.
After eight days the miraculous drugs so strengthened their forces that best doctors of Louvain and Montpellier with all your Alexandria drugs and for the year did not do what I did for a week a decoction of this tree.
French Navigator Jacques Cartier / Portrait of théophile Hamel
After the expedition Cartier realized: prayers, drinking large amounts of water and even dental urinotherapy by a mysterious disease of sailors not to save. Upon returning to his native France Cartier intuitively understood that the mysterious disease depends on the supply.
Because if his team saved the Indian broth, the elixir can be found in other products.
Symptoms and prevention of scurvy
Cartier was not mistaken. This disease is associated with severe vitamin C deficiency – organic acid, which is just necessary for the proper functioning of our body.
The vitamin C deficiency symptoms
• frequent colds;
• inflammation of the mucous membranes;
• overweight;
• chronic fatigue;
• insomnia;
• heart disease and blood vessels.
To obtain ascorbic acid can a person with fresh fruit. They say first of all about lemons, apples, plums and peaches. But vitamin C is also in the red peppers, rose hips, green onions, and even at the root of the horseradish.
Ascorbic acid is found in fresh fruits / Photo: Unsplash
Once ascorbic acid enters the body immediately takes two overarching objectives: responsible for stable mental activity and provides immunity. No wonder winter is recommended to eat lemons, drink lemon tea – because this time of year is not rich with fruit.
If the vitamin in the body is almost there – there is scurvy. People have bleeding gums, irritation of the skin, teeth fall out and weakens the body’s ability to deal with these symptoms.
It is unknown exactly whether knowledge of vitamin C was used by the Spaniards in the 16th century, when added to the diet of sailors yams. That is sweet potatoes, which the sailors could eat raw, and saved them from scurvy. After all, 150 grams of this vegetable contain a daily dose of vitamin.
Recovery from scurvy was the sweet potato “sweet potato” / Photo: Unsplash
This knowledge roamed the world, scurvy became less. But to find the real reason why fruits and vegetables protect from disease, no one could. Until the 18th century in England mistakenly believed that scurvy cures acid, and therefore began to drink patients vinegar. To recovery he had the same attitude as urine.
The experiment, which significantly reduced the number of patients
A Scottish physician of the 18th century James Lind realized that to find a cure for scurvy can only be applied way. So he went in 1746 to journey by sea. On the ship “Salisbury” with the doctor went dozens of patients with scurvy.
The journey was delayed for more than six months, but returned to England Lind with excellent results. During the journey he cured sailors of different products. Someone gave Apple cider, some sulfuric acid, to someone much less fortunate, and Lind watered with sea water.
Best of all, this journey has been through a couple of sailors, who throughout the journey had consumed the oranges and lemon. Those lucky enough to have a few days on the mend in contrast to other navigators. Since scurvy in the world has decreased significantly. On Board the sailors tried to bring the fruits and vegetables.
Desperate experiment of a surgeon in the United States
According to who, in the second half of the 20th century, scurvy appeared only in Somalia, Ethiopia, Sudan. Isolated cases were recorded in Nepal.
Deficiency of vitamin C actively showed themselves in the first year of the Second world war. However, he fell upon the American experiment of a surgeon Harvard medical school John Crandon. He decided to go on a fancy diet.
Scurvy provoked petechial skin rash / Illustration: Fine Art America
For several months in the diet of Crandon was bread, crackers, cheese, eggs, beer, chocolate, and sugar with supplements of yeast and all the vitamins except ascorbic acid. Six weeks of such power with his blood completely disappeared vitamin C. after 12 weeks, the man started to feel severe fatigue.
On the fifth month, his skin was too dry such as in patients with scurvy sailors. A month later the doctor at the calf began to appear small hemorrhages. The peak of its monstrous experiment he reached on the sixth and a half month of this diet: the wound just stopped healing.
Then other doctors injected him with ascorbic acid, as the Crandon improved. It was worth the experiment such suffering? Unlikely. But it showed one thing: vitamin C is vital to people.
Important! The person who takes enough vitamin C scurvy is unlikely to face. However, there may be other symptoms of deficiency of ascorbic acid: chronic fatigue, insomnia, nervousness. Therefore, it is best to eat fresh vegetables and fruits, and in winter not to refuse tea with lemon.
