Yes, today we get to pick on the British. AS we all know scurvy is a disease that is caused by lack of vitamin C. Long voyages at sea made it difficult to store large quantities of fresh vegetables and fruits for the crew. As sailors began to explore new areas they found sources of vitamin C. Among these were citrus fruits, namely limes.

Diet was pinned down as a reason for higher rates of scurvy when James Lind noticed Dutch sailors had a marked lower occurrence of survey compared to that of British sailors. This was mainly because cabbage is an important part of the Dutch diet.

The British first used lemons and lemon juice to help prevent scurvy, but limes soon took over as the prominent supplement. Limes were more plentiful in Britain’s possessions around the Caribbean.

Here is a quick side bar about limes. During the occupation of India British soldiers developed the now famous Gin and Tonic. The tonic began as Tonic water contains quinine to prevent malaria. Gin is added to cut the extreme bitter taste of the tonic water. The soldiers then added lime juice so they could get all their medicine at one time.

OK, back to the WOD. Strangely enough the term Limey does not show up until the late 1880’s. In reality many sailors, including Americans, used lime and lemon juice to ward off scurvy.