TOP 100 SCIENCE SITES
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| Lemons and limeys Certainly, the diet offered by Captain James Cook (Report, 30 November) was sensible with regard to the prevention of scurvy. However, James Lind, the naval surgeon, had published his detailed Treatise of Scurvy 23 years before, in 1753. Among other recommendations, derived from the first-ever clinical trials (conducted at sea) he principally advocated the use of fresh lemons or lemon juice. Lack of interest by the Admiralty led to his recommendations being ignored for over 40 years. Only then, after the forceful promotion of Lind's thesis by the naval surgeons Thomas Trotter and Gilbert Blane, were the fleets appropriately supplied, and scurvy was eradicated almost overnight. Soon, however, for perverse commercial reasons, the Admiralty espoused the use of limes (not recommended by Lind) and scurvy returned to plague sailors and others until the discovery and understanding of vitamins after the first world war.David HarvieAuthor of Limeys: The Conquest of ScurvyNutritionNutritionMedical researchHeritageguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Turns out, sunshine states really are happiest WASHINGTON (AP) -- People in sunny, outdoorsy states - Louisiana, Hawaii, Florida - say they're the happiest Americans, and researchers think they know why. A new study comparing self-described pleasant feelings with objective measures of good living found these folks generally have reason to feel fine.... hosted.ap.org |
Astronauts blast off for Christmas space mission BAIKONUR, Kazakhstan (AP) -- A Russian rocket blasted off from a cosmodrome in Kazakhstan lighting up the frigid Central Asian steppe Monday, shuttling an American, a Russian and a Japanese to the International Space Station.... hosted.ap.org |
U.N.: Himalayan glaciers warning not backed up by evidence A U.N. warning that Himalayan glaciers were melting faster than any other place in the world and may be gone by 2035 was not backed up by science, U.N. climate experts said Wednesday an admission that could energize climate change critics. rssfeeds.usatoday.com |
Australians at risk from computer zombies Australia is one of the top 10 targets for cyber crime, according to McAfee, one of the largest manufacturers of antivirus software. abc.net.au |