stefansson-wrangel-09-40-007-002

How, then, did the erroneous theory
arise? An historical inquiry was made
that showed how utterly the treacherous
post hoc propter hoc argument can lead
astray where the exact facts are not
ascertained. The reputation of lime
juice in the British navy was won some
125 years ago, when the juice used came
from the Mediterranean and consisted
principally of lemon juice with some juice
of the sweet lime, but none of the sour
lime. However, in the language of the
time, it was called “lime juice.” So
when, after 1850, the development of
“lime juice” in the West Indies brought
a new and cheaper supply nobody
stopped to think that the name covered
an entirely different fruit—the sour
lime. The British Admiralty trusting-
ly transferred its contracts without a
thought.

There was, in fact, soon a striking
proof that something was wrong. Lemon
juice had in 1850 saved a British polar
expedition from scurvy almost entirely.
In 1875 Sir George Nares’s ships, the
Alert and the Discovery, took the new
West Indian lime juice, and scurvy
ravaged the entire personnel. Since
then lime juice has been suspect, but
it remained for the present investigators
to explain and clarify the blunder.

So far as general facts with respect
to the disease go nothing new has been
revealed. Its source is still wholly ob-
scure; but certain fresh foods contain
preventive substances (presumably vi-
tamines), namely, oranges, lemons and
fresh green vegetables, also potatoes and it
other roots. Science has moved on—
from limes to lemons. There she halts.
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