In the days of tall ships, one dreaded foe was responsible for more deaths at sea than piracy, shipwreck and all other illnesses combined: Scurvy. Countless mariners suffered an agonizing death, which began with bleeding gums, wobbly teeth, and the opening of old wounds. Surgeon James Lind, Captain James Cook and physician Sir Gilbert Blane undertook to solve the riddle of Scurvy. Their achievements heralded a new age and cracked the greatest medical mystery of the Age of Sail.

First Published in 2004. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.