Product Description

The first modern survey of the long and fascinating history of the various ideas and theories about the cause of scurvy, the nutritional deficiency disease that has caused (with the exception of famine) the most human suffering in recorded history. Professor Carpenter documents the arguments that led to the numerous theories about the disease and eventually to the isolation and synthesis of vitamin C (ascorbic acid), and illustrates how the changing ideas about scurvy reflected the scientific and medical beliefs of different periods in history. The author also examines the modern claims for the use of very high levels of vitamin C to bring about a state of super-health, and he analyses the most important evidence for and against this practice. This fascinating story in the history of science and medicine will be of interest to both the historian and scientist as well as the general reader.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3137637 in Books
• Published on: 1986-05-31
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 304 pages

Customer Reviews

The bible on Scurvy
This is the bible on scurvy and its cure. Scurvy is said to have caused more misery then all diseases and to have killed 100,000s of people at sea. This book was the first true study of the disease and the history of mans seek to cure it. During the age of sail every voyage was plagued with preventing scurvy. Most prone to scurvy were the exploration expeditions that the Europeans launched all over the world from the 1400s to the late 1800s. For 400 years, as this book supremely documents, Scurvy was THE problem with seafaring, because if the crew died it really didn't matter if you found land or not. Thus many remedies were tested and tried, some that did NOTHING and others that hit the nail on the head without realizing it. For instance it was observed that the Eskimoes, who subsisted on an all meat diet, did not have scurvy. The European sailors who were experimenting by bringing using fresh vegetables to combat the Scurvy, were suddenly dumfounded, not realizing that Vitamin C existed potently in raw meat as it did in Limes. This wonderful book weaves many amazing tales of hardship, survival, experimentation and the like. An important work and a good read.