The Curious Case of Scurvy

This chapter explores a unique historical experiment from 1939, where a young doctor willingly succumbed to a scurvy-inducing diet to investigate the effects of vitamin C deficiency. The narrative intertwines humor with insights on historical misunderstandings of scurvy, emphasizing the oddities and ironies in medical experimentation, from early sailors to polar explorers. It culminates in a lighthearted yet informative discourse on the absurd remedies and scientific breakthroughs that marked the quest for understanding this disease.