Scurvy is a serious disease caused by not getting enough vitamin C in your diet. Sailors on long ocean voyages in the 1600s and 1700s often developed scurvy because they had no access to fresh fruits and vegetables for months at a time. Their gums would bleed, their teeth would fall out, old wounds would reopen, and they would become extremely weak. Thousands of sailors died from scurvy before anyone understood what caused it.

In 1747, a British naval surgeon named James Lind discovered that citrus fruits could prevent and cure scurvy. He gave some sick sailors oranges and lemons while others received different treatments. The sailors who ate citrus fruit recovered quickly. Eventually, the British Navy required ships to carry lime juice for the crew, which is why British sailors became known as “limeys.”

Today, scurvy is rare because most people get vitamin C from fruits, vegetables, and fortified foods. Your body needs vitamin C to build strong connective tissue, heal wounds, and fight infections. Just eating an orange, some strawberries, or bell peppers gives you plenty of vitamin C to stay healthy.

The word scurvy can also mean contemptible or worthless, as in “that scurvy knave!” in old adventure stories, though this meaning is now outdated.