Scurvy – Historical Background and Prevention

[Phil]

In the winter of 1534/5 a Frenchman had his ship icebound in a tributary of the St Lawrence river and his crewmen started to died from Scurvy.A group of natives walked across the ice and showed him how to make a tea from the needles and inner bark of the White pine tree.All the rest of the crew recovered.
When he returned to Europe he told every doctor he met,French,Dutch and English all refused to believe that savages dressed in skins could know anything they didn't.