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Scurvy is a disease that occurs in the mouth when the body lacks vitamins, specifically vitamin C. Before the invention of fridges and freezers and many other preservatives, there was no way to keep food from going bad other than salt (which admittedly, didn't work very well). Sailors often went on long journeys exploring or trading, and any fruits or vegetables they had would go bad long before being able to restock again.
Wiki User
∙ 14y ago
Wiki User
∙ 14y agoYour question is unclear, but if you're asking WHY it was nicknamed a sailor's disease...
It is because sailors travelled for months, sometimes years without a good supply of Vitamin C/Fruits and Vegetables and so it was common for sailors to develop Scurvy. But after a while limes were taken on board ships to prevent this.
Wiki User
∙ 14y agoScurvy is caused by a lack of vitamin C. Sailors were especially susceptible to it because on long voyages, they had limited access to fresh fruits (and vegetables) unlike people on land.
Supposedly, British sailors got the nickname "Limeys" because they carried limes on board to eliminate scurvy.
Wiki User
∙ 13y agoThe Latin word for ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) was scorbutus. Apparently the word scurvy was derived from this term.
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Which disease did sailors get if they didn't have enough fresh fruit and vegetables?
scurvy
When sailors had no fresh food to eat what disease could they get?
Scurvy
Which disease did sailors get if they didn't eat enough vegetables?
It was scurvy - a disease causing weakness, anaemia, gingivitis (gum disease - teeth falling out), and skin haemorrhages caused by a prolonged deficiency of vitamin C (ascorbic acid) in the sailors' diet.
Did sailors eat a fruit to cure scurvy what was the vitamin deficiency?
Yes they did. They added limes to their diet. Because of this, sailors are called "Limeys". This was because of the defieciency of the vitamin C in their diet. See the related link for more information.
What disease did the sailors have in the Tudor times?
scurvy, black death or food poisoning
Use scurvy in a sentence?
'You scurvy dog(s)!' '...when the ship was struck with scurvy...' (Meaning the disease which comes about with a lack of fruit in the diet. Usually happened to sailors.)
What disease did sailors often get in Tudor times and why?
sailers in the 1400s suffered from scurvy because of the lack of vitman C.x
Why were British sailors called limies?
British sailors were issued lime juice as a remedy for scurvy.
What disease did vitamin d cure for ancient sailors?
Scurvy? No, more like hunger, and vitamin D deficiency (from lack of exposure to the sun?). Ancient sailors struggled to get sufficient vitamin C, which is what led to scurvy.
Why people caught the disease scurvy?
People back then did not "Catch" scurvy because scurvy is not a disease. Scurvy is a form of malnutrition (lack of vitamin C) It was most common on ships at sea where they ate mostly cured and preserved meat. Even potatoes would have kept scurvy from happening. When they found out that they could take lime trees on the ship with them, feeding lime to the sailors in the form of juice kept scurvy from occurring. The practice of eating the juice of limes was started by the British Navy. To this day, British sailors are often called 'limejuicers', or simply, "Limeys".
How did sailors avoid scurvy?
Sailors ate Sauerkraut to prevent scurvy because it was high in vitamin C and a lack of vitamin C can cause scurvy
What is the disease called what citrus fruits prevent?
Scurvy
