This is a survey of the fascinating history of the various ideas and theories causing scurvy.

This is a survey of the fascinating history of the various ideas and theories causing scurvy.

An intellectual history of scurvy in the eighteenth century Scurvy—a disease usually associated with long stretches of maritime travel—generated extraordinary sensations. Eyes dazzled, skin was morbidly sensitive, emotions veered between disgust and delight. In this book, Jonathan Lamb presents an intellectual history of scurvy unlike any other, probing its cultural impact during the eighteenth-century age of geographic and scientific discovery. Drawing on historical accounts from scientists and voyagers as well as major literary works, Lamb explains the medical knowledge surrounding scurvy and the debates about its cause, prevention, and attempted cures. He argues that a “culture” of scurvy arose in the colony of Australia, which was prey to the disease in its early years, and identifies a literature of scurvy in the works of such figures as Herman Melville, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Francis Bacon, and Jonathan Swift. Masterful and illuminating, Scurvy shows how eighteenth-century journeys of discovery not only ventured outward to the ends of the earth, but were also an inward voyage into the realms of sensation and passion.

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1772 edition. Excerpt: ... would not have published any thing upon, the subject. There is an edition of Roujjetii put down by Mercklin si J and Lipeniusk in the year 1564; arid of Wierius observa* tions in 1567. The learned Dr. AJiruc (/) Is of opinion, that these last were not pub* listied till 1580. It is thus far certain, that those authors corresponded together; and upon Wierus sending to Ronjfeus Ecbthius's letter, now called his Epitome, he published it, together with his own work, Wierus*s observations, and two of Langius's epistles* in the year 1583. CHAP. IL Bibliotheca scorbutica: or, A chronological /view of what has hitherto been published on tbejcurvy. A. D. DEGREESfOan. Echthii defcorbtito, velscorbu* 1541**/ tica pqffione DEGREES epitome. He proposes it as a question, Whether the blood in the scurvy may not be corrupted* without the spleen or any other of the bowels being affected ? but is inclined to think the spleen often is. He assigns as causes of this disease, gross and unwhole some si) Linden, rtnwat. sk) Bibliotheca rial, medic. (I) Lib, dt morbit venereis. some food, such as salted, dried, or putrid flesh and fish, rancid pork, spoilt bread, bad water, &c. He distinguishes the symptoms into two classes. The first contains such as appear at the beginning, and are common to it with other diseases; the second, the succeeding and more certain signs of the malady. Under the first, he comprehends a heaviness of the body, with an unusual weariness, generally most sensibly felt after exercise; a tightness of the breast, and a weakness of the legs; an itching, redness, and pain of the gums; a change of colour in the face to a darkish hue: and observes, that where all these symptoms concur, we may fortel an approaching scurvy. But the more certain

Vitamin C is the first book to cover the history, chemistry, biochemistry, and medical importance of vitamin C and is the first to provide an in-depth, interdisciplinary study of this essential and fascinating compound. The book provides a comprehensive and systematic account of the vitamin C story, fully surveying the history of scurvy and how its cure led to the suggestion, discovery, and isolation of the vitamin, later named L-ascorbic acid. It describes in detail the vitamin's structure determination, synthesis and manufacture, and its oxidation products, derivatives and related compounds. Its key biochemical roles are fully categorized and explained, and the medical importance of the vitamin, including the recent use of so-called megadoses, is thoroughly discussed. Vitamin C will be of interest to a very wide readership and will provide useful background information and inspiration for students at various levels. It will also be relevant to the interested chemist or lay person, as well as those carrying out research in this area.

In the Age of Sail scurvy was responsible for more deaths at sea than piracy, shipwreck and all other illnesses, and its cure ranks among the greatest of military successes – yet its impact on history has mostly been ignored. Stephen Bown searches back to the earliest recorded appearance of scurvy in the sixteenth century, to the eighteenth century when the disease was at its gum-shredding, bone-snapping worst, and to the early nineteenth century, when the preventative was finally put into service. Bown introduces us to James Lind, the navy surgeon and medical detective, whose research on the disease spawned the implementation of the cure; Captain James Cook, who successfully avoided scurvy on his epic voyages; and Gilbert Blane, whose social status and charisma won over the British Navy. Scurvy is a lively recounting of how three determined individuals overcame the constraints of eighteenth-century thinking to solve the greatest medical mystery of their era.

This volume is the newest release in the authoritative series of quantitative estimates of nutrient intakes to be used for planning and assessing diets for healthy people. Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) is the newest framework for an expanded approach developed by U.S. and Canadian scientists. This book discusses in detail the role of vitamin C, vitamin E, selenium, and the carotenoids in human physiology and health. For each nutrient the committee presents what is known about how it functions in the human body, which factors may affect how it works, and how the nutrient may be related to chronic disease. Dietary Reference Intakes provides reference intakes, such as Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs), for use in planning nutritionally adequate diets for different groups based on age and gender, along with a new reference intake, the Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL), designed to assist an individual in knowing how much is "too much" of a nutrient.