Sources
Every figure cited on this site is real. We have footnoted ourselves so that no one else has to.
1. ~2 million sailor deaths during the Age of Sail; Anson’s 1740–44 voyage losses.
James Lind (Wikipedia); EBSCO Research Starters, “Lind Discovers a Cure for Scurvy”; Biomol, “The Cure for Scurvy” (2025).
2. Lind’s 1747 trial — 12 sailors, 6 pairs, citrus pair fit for duty in ~6 days; one of the first controlled clinical trials.
James Lind Library; Amusing Planet (2025).
3. Symptoms appear after 4–12 weeks of deficiency.
Ayyad et al., “Forgotten Deficiency,” Case Reports in Medicine (2025), PMC12208746.
4. ~10 mg/day of vitamin C prevents scurvy; ~70 mg in a single orange; citrus juice 40–60 mg/100 g.
James Lind (Wikipedia); MetabolicHealthCoach (2025).
5. Humans cannot synthesize vitamin C — the GULO gene is non-functional in our lineage; one of few mammals affected.
Widely established nutritional biochemistry; introductory review literature.
6. 1795 Royal Navy lemon-juice ration, later lime (“limeys”).
MetabolicHealthCoach (2025); James Lind Library.
7. Modern resurgence; 280 adult cases reviewed; 68.6% male; median age 51.
Review of 280 21st-century cases, ScienceDirect (2026).
8. 85% of U.S. adult cases misdiagnosed for more than 6 weeks.
“Scurvy Still Exists,” PMC12805970.
9. Resurgence linked to cost-of-living pressures and processed diets.
The Week, “Why scurvy is on the rise” (2024).
Stop Scurvy — still not a real charity. Still, eat an orange. Back to the statistics.