John Winthrop describes the treatment of scurvy with lemon juice (1631)
Abstract
James Lind is often credited with discovering or proving that citrus fruits are effective in preventing and treating scurvy. However, reports highlighting the benefits of oranges appeared more than two centuries before Lind’s (1753) treatise. Oranges were already indicated for scurvy in accounts from Vasco da Gama’s first voyage, and similar suggestions were recorded by Ronsseus, Hawkins, Pyrard, Woodall, John Smith and many others before Lind’s treatise. In his journal, John Winthrop described that when a ship supplied juice of lemons in 1631, many patients suffering from scurvy recovered rapidly. The relevant passage from his journal is reproduced in this document.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Environmental and Cultural Studies in Latin America and Beyond
Publication details
- Journal / source
- PubMed
- Volume
- 9
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 286–287
- Publication date
- 12 February 2026
- Language
- EN