- this is hypovitaminosis or avitaminosis C at the stage of advanced pathological manifestations.
Causes of scurvy.
With a lack or absence of ascorbic acid, violations occur in the formation of various elements of connective tissue, as well as collagen, which can lead to a decrease in strength and an increase in the permeability of the vascular walls, a violation of the structure of bones and cartilage, and hemorrhages.
Symptoms and signs of scurvy.
As a rule, signs of scurvy are combined with symptoms of other types of vitamin deficiency.
The first signs of this disease occur four to twelve weeks after the cessation of vitamin C, and if it is insufficiently supplied with food, symptoms appear after four to six months.
There is lethargy, general weakness, fatigue, drowsiness, irritability, weight loss, dizziness and unexplained pain in the joints and calf muscles. These signs are not specific, however, make it possible to suspect the presence of scurvy if their appearance was preceded by fasting and eating food that does not contain vitamin C, as well as long-term diarrhea as a result of malabsorption of products in the intestine.
In the future, there are changes in the gums typical for this disease. First, the gums become pale, then cyanotic, the interdental papillae swell and bleed even with little contact with them. Blue-purple spongy growths appear around the teeth, which form rollers and bleed. Patients experience pain when chewing food and profuse salivation.
In the case of a severe course of scurvy, a secondary infection joins, an unpleasant odor appears in the mouth, ulcers appear, the teeth begin to stagger and fall out.
The skin acquires a yellow-brown hue, becomes dry. Hemorrhages in the skin may occur, localized around the hair follicles, which protrude above the skin and resemble a grater. At first, hemorrhages become reddish in color, and then acquire a brownish and blue-purple color.
In severe scurvy, extensive hemorrhages can be observed in the subcutaneous tissue, in the conjunctiva, under the periosteum, in the thickness of the muscles and in the tissue around the joints. In the case of large hemorrhages, noticeable hard hematomas can form, which cause pain. As a result of pain in the joints and muscles, the patient's movement becomes difficult, which explains walking on bent knees. Hemorrhages can occur in the internal organs (pleura, kidneys, lungs, intestines, stomach) and the anterior chamber of the eye. In this case, the addition of hemoptysis, hematemesis and hematuria is possible.
With scurvy, inhibition of the secretory and motor functions of the intestines and stomach can occur, anemia often occurs and an increase in the spleen in volume, and sometimes the liver, is possible.
Signs of cardiac damage (muffled tones, weakening of the heart beat, palpitations, shortness of breath), as a rule, are associated with a deficiency of protein and other vitamins in food or are due to the addition of an infection or other diseases. Due to hemorrhages in the tissue, complications can occur in the form of a persistent limitation of joint mobility or bone fractures.
Treatment for scurvy.
For the treatment of scurvy, it is necessary to establish a full-fledged diet, which should be enriched with vitamin C. The specialist must prescribe the patient to take ascorbic acid parenterally or orally until the bleeding disappears with a further decrease in the dose.
To reduce the inflammatory process of the oral mucosa, rinsing is carried out with a weak solution of manganese, hydrogen peroxide and oil mixtures of vitamins A and E.
In case of anemia, it is necessary to take iron supplements and vitamin B12. With limited joint mobility and the presence of muscle infiltrates, physiotherapy is carried out, which includes massage and therapeutic exercises.
Prevention of scurvy.
Preventive measures include individual intake of vitamin C in the winter-spring period, just when its content is reduced in the diet.
At this time, it is necessary to consume fruit juices, canned vegetables, rosehip broth and freshly frozen berries.
In case of insufficient consumption of fruit and vegetable dishes, it is recommended to take ascorbic acid.
Prognosis for scurvy.
The prognosis of an uncomplicated form of scurvy with timely treatment is favorable, and with a complicated form it depends on the severity of the disease and the timing of the start of treatment (possible loss of vision and stiffness in the joints). In case of accession of an acute infectious disease (sepsis, pneumonia, influenza), a fatal outcome may occur.
; fragility of blood vessels leads to bleeding gums, hemorrhages in the form of dark red spots on .
Treatment and prevention of scurvy- providing the body with vitamin C in the required doses.
With the complete cessation of the intake of ascorbic acid in the body, scurvy develops in about 4–12 weeks; with hypovitaminosis C, clinical manifestations are less pronounced and appear at a later date, usually after 4–6 months.
Scurvy disease - belongs to the category of "hemorrhagic" (bleeding) which are characterized by a tendency to spontaneous hemorrhages. It rarely appears as individual diseases, but most often it is epidemic and endemic.
The first reliable information about the disease dates back to the era of the Crusades, at the beginning of the 13th century, and relates to diseases among the crew of ships. This so-called "sea scorpion" became even more widespread in the second half of the 15th century, during round-the-world voyages. This befell, for example, the crew of Vasco de Gama in 1495 on his way to India, and out of 160 sailors, more than a hundred people died.
On the mainland, acquaintance with this disease begins in the 16th century, when scurvy visited Germany, the Baltic provinces, the Netherlands, and Scandinavia. At first, scurvy found a connection with wars, so it was called military scurvy. Of the 114 known great epidemics of scurvy, falling during the period from 1556 to 1857, at least 40 occur in besieged fortresses. The last major epidemic of this disease was observed in 1871 in Paris, during the siege of the Germans. Further, scurvy occurs in an endemic distribution, even at the present time, in correctional institutions, prisons, barracks, almshouses and similar places of a crowded settlement of people.
Of the 114 epidemics mentioned, 33 occur in these closed establishments, including 12 in prisons. At present, thanks to advances in hygiene, continental and marine scurvy has become a much rarer disease than in the past; especially in Western Europe, sorbut now plays a very minor role.
With regard to the geographical distribution of scurvy, it is generally observed under all latitudes. However, it was especially widespread at sea on expeditions to the Arctic and Antarctic regions, and on the mainland - in northern countries. Especially often this disease raged in European and Asian Russia: out of 114 epidemics observed over the past three centuries, 31 occur in Russia. . The last major epidemic of scurvy visited Russia in 1849, and 260,444 fell ill over 16 provinces, of which 60,958 people.
According to Lind's observations, scurvy spreads in Russia mainly on the shores of the Baltic Sea. Sporadically, an epidemic of scurvy appeared in some provinces during the years following the lean years: 1891-1892 and 1897-1898, for example, in Voronezh, Ufa, Perm. According to the medical doctor, in 1899 there were 132,577 of all registered diseases of scurvy in European Russia, 10,245 in Siberia, 6,902 in the Caucasus, and 4,395 in the Central Asian possessions. Scurvy was observed somewhat less frequently in Germany (12 epidemics), the Netherlands, Norway, Denmark (last epidemic in Copenhagen in 1846-1847).
Much less often scurvy epidemics visited Great Britain, France, Spain, Italy. From non-European countries In addition to Asiatic Russia, scurvy often raged in the East Indies (severe epidemics in 1833 and 1840), in California (among gold diggers), and in modern times in Australia during expeditions into the mainland. Regarding the distribution of scurvy among the peoples inhabiting Russia, there are the following data from Lisunov: the first place in incidence is occupied by the natives of the Baltic provinces, followed by the population of the northeastern provinces (Finnish tribes), then the natives of the Kingdom of Poland (Poles), northwestern provinces ( Lithuanians), next to them are Tatar tribes, Belarusians, Jews and, finally, Little Russians and Great Russians.
There is still controversy about the nature of scurvy. In modern times, they are more inclined towards the infectious theory of scurvy, giving other points, such as poor, damp housing, only the significance of predisposing causes. Attempts to isolate a bacteriologically infectious agent cannot be considered successful. True, Babes obtained special sticks from the organs of scorbutic patients, Afanasiev - cocci, the wiring of which, when injected into animals, causes bleeding inflammations; but the causal significance of these organisms in human scurvy has not been proven. The contagiousness (contagiousness) of scurvy has not been clinically established, although it is recognized by some. Many authors consider scurvy and rather recognize its origin, that is, the poisoning of the body by products produced in it under certain bad hygienic conditions.
For a long time, the occurrence of scurvy has been associated with a lack or poor quality of food, especially with the use of known nutrients, namely corned beef (on ships), with a lack of, especially green. Scurvy epidemics were often observed during potato crop failures. Facts of this kind gave rise to Garro (Garrod) in 1848 to put forward the theory of potash, according to which the cause of scurvy is depletion, and consequently, potassium salts. Other observers note the impact of spoiled, damp, cramped housing, excessive physical exertion, etc.
Scurvy begins for the most part gradually with symptoms of a general nature ("harbinger period"), which are expressed by fatigue, weakness, a feeling of pressure or tightness in the chest, and palpitations. These phenomena are soon joined by rheumatoid drawing pains in the sacrum and in the limbs, especially in the legs. In more severe cases, patients usually do not leave the bed, they are very chilly, drowsy, apathetic. These harbingers last from a few days to two weeks. Then the symptoms characteristic of scurvy develop: and spontaneous hemorrhages.
The gums become bluish in color, swell, become painful, loose and bleed easily. These changes begin first at the incisors and it is at the edge of the gums and are most pronounced between adjacent ones; they are completely absent where . Thus, scurvy lesions of the gums are not observed in the elderly either, although scurvy does not spare either one or the other, which is proved by epidemics of this disease in orphanages (in St. Petersburg in 1831) and almshouses. In severe cases, ulcers form on the gums, fall out easily, bad breath appears, salivation, and the process spreads to the rest of the oral mucosa (stomatitis).
Hemorrhages appear mainly on the lower extremities and are placed partly in, forming numerous large and smaller dark red spots (ecchymosis), partly in the deeper soft parts, in the subcutaneous tissue, in the muscles, less often in the periosteum (extravases), where they are first found in the form of hard, painful swellings, and then, as the dye dissolves and seeps out, they lead to characteristic changes in skin color (blue, green, yellow, etc.) in the corresponding places. Hemorrhages under the periosteum are especially often observed with scurvy in suffering from English disease; the resulting peculiar clinical picture is known as "Barlov's disease". Less often, and almost only in severe cases, similar hemorrhages appear on the upper limbs and on the trunk, but almost never on the head. With the epidemic spread of scurvy under poor hygienic conditions, bleeding from the mucous membranes and internal organs is also observed, namely: (especially often), gastric, intestinal, bronchial, renal (bloody urine - hematuria), hemorrhage in shirt (haemopericardium), in the pleura (haemothorax).
Sometimes individual places of the skin due to hemorrhage can become dead and torn off. Then scurvy ulcers are formed, which, under adverse external conditions, can reach dangerous sizes. In all cases, scurvy develops, lean, becomes lethargic, dry, gets a pale, earthy color, subcutaneous fat disappears. In any epidemic, there are cases when the matter is limited only to scurvy anemia, without the development of local phenomena. The course of scurvy is usually fever-free. The illness may last for weeks or months; scurvy ulcers sometimes persist for years. There are malignant, fleeting forms, the so-called "lightning purpura". There are all sorts of transitions between these heavy and very light forms. Death from scurvy occurs in severe cases from exhaustion due to bleeding, ulcers, thinness, sometimes from hemorrhage in the heart shirt or from complications, kidneys, etc.
Prevention
Prevention of scurvy consists in eliminating those unfavorable factors that were discussed above: in, housing, clothing, working conditions, and so on. Thanks to the advances in ship hygiene and the speed of travel, sea scurvy has become a rarer disease. In 1856–1861, only 1.05% of the crew fell ill in the English navy, and 0.34% in the Austrian (1871–1872); in the German fleet there were only 16 cases of scurvy and 76 cases of scorbutic lesions of the gums in 5 years (1875-1880), which together constitutes an incidence of 0.475%.
Nansen did not observe scurvy on an expedition to the North Pole. Since it is not always possible to have fresh on long journeys, in order to satisfy the need for potash salts, in the English fleet, the crew is given lemon juice mixed with vodka in a ratio of 10: 1. When scurvy appears, care should also be taken in the foreground to improve the living conditions of patients. Defenders of the infectious theory require, in addition, the isolation of patients. In order to prevent scorbutic lesions of the gums, during an epidemic, care should be taken in a timely manner to remove the spoiled ones;
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If you are wondering: “What kind of disease is scurvy?”, then be sure to read our article to the end. In it, we will talk about what constitutes this disease. We will also find out what are its symptoms and treatment methods.
general information
Scurvy is a rather serious disease that is caused by an acute deficiency (or the so-called ascorbic acid). It should be noted that the deficiency of this element in the human body can very quickly lead to disruption of collagen synthesis, as a result of which the connective tissue simply loses its former strength.
Disease history
Scurvy is an ailment, the first information about which dates back to the beginning of the 13th century. Historians have calculated that in the period from 1600 to 1800. about a million sailors died from this disease, which usually occurred on ships. These values exceeded the human losses in all the battles of that time.
As for the continents, there mass diseases occurred only in isolated places where a lot of people accumulated (for example, in besieged fortresses, remote villages, prisons, etc.).
Discovery of disease
As mentioned above, scurvy is an ailment that is caused by a deficiency. This fact was proved only in 1932. Initially, this disease was attributed to an infectious nature. However, sailors during their travels around the world noticed that on ships on which citrus fruits made up a significant proportion of the crew's diet, losses from scurvy were negligible.
Soon, the employees in the Navy began to receive rations, which differed significantly from the usual lunch of a military man. It included lemons, oranges and cranberries.
In 1747, having conducted the first clinical study, the doctor of the naval hospital, James Lind, proved that greens can also prevent the development of the disease in question. In the same year, British Admiral Richard Hawkins also spoke about the means of preventing scurvy, who during his entire career lost about ten thousand subordinates who died of scurvy.
When does the disease appear?
The disease of scurvy begins to develop with the complete cessation of ascorbic acid intake into the body. As a rule, symptoms begin to appear as early as the 4th week. As for the usual hypovitaminosis, the clinical manifestations in this case are less pronounced. They make themselves felt at a later date, namely after 4-7 months.
Main symptoms
Scurvy (lack of vitamin C) is primarily characterized. As a result, it appears on the human body. Also, patients often complain of excessive bleeding of the gums. This fact is due to the fact that collagen, in the production of which vitamin C is directly involved, is the most important component of the vascular walls.
As a result of such a disease, the fixation of teeth weakens in a person due to poor attachment of the periosteum in the holes and to the bones. In the future, scurvy (lack of vitamin C) can lead to their loss. In addition, a person has subperiosteal hemorrhages, causing very severe pain in all limbs.
It should also be noted that the ailment in question contributes to a decrease in immunity and the appearance
Treatment process
Now you know what causes scurvy. It should be noted that it is quite easy to detect this disease in yourself. To do this, you just need to observe the symptoms that appear. If you notice the signs described above, then your body is deficient in ascorbic acid.
Treatment of scurvy can be done independently, without consulting a doctor. After all, the therapy of this disease comes down only to providing your body with a sufficient amount of vitamin C. But if you doubt that you have this particular disease, then it is better to consult a doctor. The doctor will be able to quickly identify the presence or absence of this disease in you and, if necessary, prescribe a vitamin complex.
Disease prevention
Vitamins for scurvy can be purchased at pharmacies, and you can also use food products that are rich in ascorbic acid.
Especially important is the prevention of this disease in the winter, as well as with a long stay in those areas where it is very difficult to provide yourself with a complete and balanced diet.
Daily requirement for ascorbic acid
Preservation of vitamin C in products occurs only if strict rules for their culinary processing and storage are observed. If you do not have the opportunity to get the required amount of ascorbic acid with food, then it is recommended to take this element in the form of dragees or tablets. However, it should be noted that an overdose of vitamin C also threatens to cause serious health problems. That is why it is very important to have information about the daily need of the body for ascorbic acid. So, the dose for children is from 30 to 75 mg per day, and for adults - 50-120 mg. In addition, it is recommended to take other multivitamin complexes.
Folk remedies for scurvy
If you have been diagnosed with such a diagnosis, then you should not postpone the treatment of this disease indefinitely. After all, the longer your body experiences a deficiency of ascorbic acid, the stronger the symptoms will appear. So, a long-term lack of vitamin C can cause tooth loss, as well as problems with blood vessels, heart, etc.
Above, we have already talked about what measures need to be taken to overcome the mentioned disease. If you do not want to take vitamin complexes purchased at a pharmacy, then we recommend using folk recipes. Thanks to them, after a few weeks, you will be able to notice a decrease in unpleasant symptoms.
So, consider the recipes for folk remedies against scurvy in more detail:
- To cure this disease, you need to take fresh needles, rinse it in cool water, and then put it in a saucepan, add sugar and make jam. The resulting delicacy is recommended to be consumed with tea and lemon three times a day.
- If you do not like sweets, then from the needles you can make not jam, but a decoction. To do this, 30 g of well-washed needles are taken, and then filled with water in an amount of 160 ml. The resulting mixture is boiled for 20 minutes in winter and 40 minutes in summer. Ready broth should be drunk in two doses. Additionally, you can add a little fresh honey or a spoonful of sugar to it.
- For self-treatment of scurvy, lemon water is often used. To prepare such a product, 1 small fruit is squeezed into a glass. Lemon water is taken throughout the day. By the way, you can also rinse your mouth with the resulting liquid.
- In the event that you do not have time to make lemon water, then the mentioned fruit can be consumed just like that. To do this, it is washed, cut into slices, and then lightly sprinkled with sugar and eaten with water or tea.
Among other things, with scurvy, you should eat a variety of citrus fruits to your taste (tangerines, grapefruits, oranges, etc.). You should also include cranberries, cranberry juice, baked potatoes, fresh parsley and dill, lettuce, sauerkraut, and other foods high in vitamin C in your diet.
Scurvy or scurvy is caused by beriberi (vitamin C deficiency). An insufficient amount of ascorbic acid in the body or its complete absence causes violations of collagen production. It is this protein that is responsible for the strength of the walls of blood vessels and the elasticity of connective tissues. As a result of a persistent lack of vitamin C, the structure of cartilage is disrupted, tubular bones are destroyed, and bone marrow function is reduced.
With scurvy, the bone bed of the teeth atrophies. The disease often occurs against the background of other forms of vitamin deficiency. For example, simultaneously with rickets with a deficiency of vitamin B or with folic anemia with an insufficient amount of vitamin B12 in the body.
Symptoms of scurvy
The first clinical symptoms of scurvy appear 1-3 months after the development of an acute deficiency of ascorbic acid in the body.
The patient feels weak, gets tired quickly, suffers from dizziness. He becomes irritable, drowsy, feels pain in the joints and calf muscles. These symptoms are not yet specific signs of scurvy and allow one to suspect pathology only if there are cases of prolonged starvation, malnutrition, or malabsorption in the intestine in the patient's medical history.
The progressive development of scurvy leads to changes in the gum tissue: a specific pallor appears, then cyanosis of the mucous membranes. The state of the interdental papillae also changes, bleeding occurs in the oral cavity. At the site of damage, tissue seals of a dark purple color are formed with signs of internal hemorrhage. Patients suffer from pain when chewing and feel discomfort due to increased salivation.
Treatment
Diet therapy plays a major role in the treatment of scurvy. The diet of the patient must necessarily include products - sources of vitamin C. Fresh vegetables, fruits, berries, juices and salads based on them should form the basis of therapeutic nutrition for scurvy.
With severe bleeding of tissues, drip or injection of ascorbic acid is prescribed. It is customary to fight inflammation in the mouth with scurvy by rinsing with a weak solution of potassium permanganate, treating the mouth with hydrogen peroxide and an oily solution of vitamin A.
Physiotherapy is recommended for all patients with signs of limited joint mobility: therapeutic exercises, mud applications, massage, hydrotherapy. With concomitant anemia, courses of iron and vitamin B12 preparations are prescribed.
Complications of scurvy
Untimely treatment of scurvy can lead to the addition of a secondary infection. The patient has ulcers on the gums, bad breath. Gradual loosening of the teeth can result in their complete loss.
Patients with scurvy have a peculiar appearance: their skin is yellow-brown with a characteristic bumpy surface caused by small hemorrhages in the hair follicles. Patients move with great difficulty due to severe joint and muscle pain.
Digestive disorders provoked by scurvy are manifested in the inhibition of gastric and intestinal motility, insufficient secretion of enzymes. The heart also suffers from hypovitaminosis of vitamin C. In patients, blood pressure decreases, the pulse quickens, the strength of cardiac impulses weakens. Concomitant infectious diseases and other forms of beriberi lead to massive hemorrhages, bone fractures, patient disability, and sometimes death.
Prevention
Adequate nutrition is often sufficient to prevent scurvy. Particular attention should be paid to the quality of nutrition in winter and early spring. An excellent prevention of scurvy is the constant use of fresh, canned or frozen vegetables and fruits. With an insufficient daily amount of vitamin C in the diet (less than 30 mg in children and 50 mg in adults), it is recommended to take complex vitamin preparations, such as undevit, revit. Preventive norms for the use of synthetic ascorbic acid in its pure form should not exceed 70-100 mg per day.
Description:
Scurvy (synonymous with scorbut, Latin scorbutus) is a disease caused by an acute deficiency of ascorbic acid in the human body (vitamin C).
Symptoms:
The whole trouble is that the substance known to us as vitamin C and first isolated and synthesized only in 1932, is not formed in the body of primates (and higher ones too - that is, human). In this sense, birds or, say, worms are much more fortunate - they get ascorbic acid from carbohydrates, for example, glucose, but a person can enrich his body with this compound only from food consumed, moreover, with a complete cessation of vitamin C intake from food through 4-12 weeks scurvy develops.
Briefly, the path from the first symptoms to the death of this insidious and dangerous disease can be described as follows: first, lethargy, loss of strength and exhaustion appear, the gums become loose, ulcers appear on them, the teeth loosen and fall out. Then the victims of scurvy are tormented by pain in the muscles due to constant hemorrhages in them, subcutaneous ones appear, the patient falls into a state of apathy and severe depression, and, in the end, the lungs and kidneys fail in the body tormented by diarrhea - then death does not take long. But this brevity is only apparent: the disease lasts for weeks and months, not leaving a person alone even for a short time of oblivion, drowsiness.
The symptoms of scurvy are determined by the participation of vitamin C in a number of important biochemical processes:
* It ensures the penetration of glucose, the main nutrient substrate, into the cells of tissues and organs. No glucose? Exhaustion and loss of strength develops.
* It is involved in the formation of connective tissue (collagen). No collagen? The gums loosen, teeth fall out, the walls of blood vessels become brittle and the blood through them easily penetrates into tissues and organs, hematomas and bleeding occur.
* Without it, the formation of serotonin, the hormone of pleasure, is impossible. No serotonin - no pleasure - and apathy.
* It is necessary for the normal functioning of the intestinal microflora, otherwise dysbacteriosis develops, malabsorption of nutrients and synthesis of other vitamins. Which leads to chronic diarrhea and even more exhaustion.
Violation of the above biochemical processes entails the loss of a huge number of others, immunity decreases and appears. The cause of death, most often, is hemorrhage in a vital organ (lung, kidney) or growing.
Causes of occurrence:
Scurvy develops due to deficiencies of vitamin C in the body. Ultimately, this leads to a disruption in the synthesis of the fibrillar protein collagen, which is the main structural component of the connective tissue. As a result, the connective tissue present in any organ, including the membrane of blood vessels, loses its strength, becomes loose and is impregnated with plasma and blood cells. This process explains the characteristic clinical picture of scurvy: loosening and, up to the complete loss of teeth, and multiple hemorrhages on the body.
Scurvy is the most widely known beriberi with a long and extremely sad history, because until the 18th century people did not even suspect the true causes of the disease, and for centuries it remained a mysterious deadly disease, completely shrouded in a veil of mystery. Scurvy was especially rampant among prisoners, the poor, residents of the north and sailors, where food was scarce and not only insufficient in calories, but also practically “empty” in terms of minerals and vitamins. Due to various living conditions, this contingent was forced to be content with bread and long-term stored products, in which, over time, there were less and less biologically active substances. The basis of the diet of sailors in general was canned food, and they could only dream of fresh vegetables and fruits. That is why the "silent killer" nicknamed the "sea scorpion" literally "mowed down" the ranks of brave travelers during the first round-the-world voyages. So, out of 160 members of the expedition of Vasco da Gama in 1497 to the shores of India, less than 60 people sailed to their final destination. The journey around the Earth of Admiral George Anson in the 17th century ended no less tragically: 6 ships left the English port with a crew of about 2 thousand people, only half of them returned, and the commander did not lose a single soldier in battle - this scurvy claimed almost a thousand lives. A prolonged lack of vitamins turned out to be more dangerous and stronger than the weapon of any enemy.
Just a few decades have passed, and at the end of the 18th century, Captain James Cook, already more aware of scurvy, prepared spruce beer with sugar right on his ship - spruce needles contain a lot of vitamin C. And he had such a way to deal with the disease thanks to the research of the Scottish doctor D Linda, who conducted the following experiment: he took twenty patients with scurvy and prescribed different diets for them to determine which food helped to overcome the disease. Two of the group received lemons and oranges every day, and only they recovered at the end of the trial. Thus, the alleged cause of the disease was established - a deficiency of a certain vitamin, which is especially rich in citrus fruits. In 1753, Lind published the results of his clinical trial in A Treatise on Scurvy, but few believed him at the time. Among the few who believed was Captain Cook, in addition to spruce beer, loaded his holds with sauerkraut - another source of ascorbic acid.
It wasn't until more than 100 years after Lind's experiments that the English merchant marine was ordered to supply linden juice to ships to prevent scurvy, and no one knows the exact number of English deaths as a result of these bureaucratic delays. But historians of medicine quite accurately calculated that for the period 1600-1800. about a million sailors died from this severe "ship" disease. This exceeds the human losses in all naval battles of that time. On the mainland, scurvy has been common since the 16th century and was observed, as a rule, in isolated crowds of people (prisons, remote villages), and its massive outbreaks were recorded during periods of war, in besieged fortresses.
With the introduction of potato culture into the agricultural industry, scurvy epidemics gradually faded away, because this product in the daily diet is able to actively prevent C, since it contains a significant amount of ascorbic acid. A vivid picture of how a sufficiently large group of people die from scorbutic exhaustion can be seen in the work of the outstanding American writer and public figure Jack London "The Mistake of the Lord God." It was written in 1911, before it was conclusively proven that scurvy was caused by vitamin C deficiency and nothing else. There is no word “vitamin” in the story, but rereading the description of the torment and salvation in the form of a portion of fresh potato juice, you are surprised how accurately D. London understood the cause of scurvy - some substance that was not, and could not be in canned foods. And this is quite natural, because the work of the Polish scientist K. Funk, where the term itself was first introduced, came out a little later.
It is believed that from the twentieth century to the present, scurvy epidemics do not occur, as you can read in any book about vitamins and related diseases. However, the disease still raged in the Far Eastern, Siberian and northern "labor camps" of the USSR in 1933-1953. This was evidenced by former prisoners of the Gulag, who chewed spruce branches and drank infusions and decoctions of elfin cedar when scurvy claimed millions of lives. Individual cases of scurvy can be found today. One has only to look more closely behind the bars of a prison cell or barracks somewhere in a distant northern village.
Treatment:
For treatment appoint:
Today it is almost impossible to meet a neglected case of scurvy, in the extreme case - a long-term hypovitaminosis C with initial signs of the disease.
Treatment and prevention of scurvy consists in prescribing adequate doses of vitamin C orally or intravenously (250 mg 4 times / day), as well as maintaining a nutritious diet rich in fresh vegetables, fruits, berries and natural juices. With severe inflammation of the oral mucosa, rinsing with hydrogen peroxide, oily solutions of vitamin E and A is used. In case of anemia, vitamin B12 injection and iron preparations are added to scurvy therapy.
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