Comments on: Old Bones Tell the Tales and Reveal the Diets of 18th-Century Sailors http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2012/03/27/old-bones-tell-the-tales-and-reveal-the-diets-of-18th-century-sailors/ Mon, 22 Apr 2013 21:34:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.2 By: Michael http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2012/03/27/old-bones-tell-the-tales-and-reveal-the-diets-of-18th-century-sailors/#comment-32239 Michael Mon, 02 Apr 2012 01:50:49 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/?p=36043#comment-32239 Sauerkraut is rich in vitamin C and was often carried by ships because it would last well beyond the spoiling of fresh fruits and vegtables It was given to those that chose to eat it however, many not liking the taste often died from lack of vitamin C or scurvy. Those that ate the foul tasting vegtable were much more likely to survive than those that didn't eat it. Sauerkraut is rich in vitamin C and was often carried by ships because it would last well beyond the spoiling of fresh fruits and vegtables It was given to those that chose to eat it however, many not liking the taste often died from lack of vitamin C or scurvy. Those that ate the foul tasting vegtable were much more likely to survive than those that didn’t eat it.

]]> By: juan http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2012/03/27/old-bones-tell-the-tales-and-reveal-the-diets-of-18th-century-sailors/#comment-32238 juan Thu, 29 Mar 2012 22:14:00 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/?p=36043#comment-32238 The biggest mystery is how those sailors could survive after months of scurvy. It is obvious that many died of scurvy, but about survivors? Why did they survive? If diets were the same for everyone and basically devoid of C vitamin how comes that some survived and others didn't? The biggest mystery is how those sailors could survive after months of scurvy. It is obvious that many died of scurvy, but about survivors? Why did they survive? If diets were the same for everyone and basically devoid of C vitamin how comes that some survived and others didn’t?

]]> By: Sarah Zhang http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2012/03/27/old-bones-tell-the-tales-and-reveal-the-diets-of-18th-century-sailors/#comment-32237 Sarah Zhang Thu, 29 Mar 2012 22:09:46 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/?p=36043#comment-32237 @Angelica Buono -- thanks for pointing out the error! It's been corrected. @Angelica Buono — thanks for pointing out the error! It’s been corrected.

]]> By: Angelica Buono http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2012/03/27/old-bones-tell-the-tales-and-reveal-the-diets-of-18th-century-sailors/#comment-32236 Angelica Buono Thu, 29 Mar 2012 07:19:04 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/?p=36043#comment-32236 Sugar cane was not found only in the new world during the 18th century; it is an old world domesticate native to South Asia. Sugar cane was not found only in the new world during the 18th century; it is an old world domesticate native to South Asia.

]]> By: Georg http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2012/03/27/old-bones-tell-the-tales-and-reveal-the-diets-of-18th-century-sailors/#comment-32235 Georg Wed, 28 Mar 2012 09:19:16 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/?p=36043#comment-32235 Nonsense! Fishing was a coastal business then, not a basis to feed men on the overburdened "sea prisons". 18th century navies did not make far distance voyages in a single run, if any! So there was always chance to replenish food. Canning did not change much to the food for sailors in 19th century, just the beef and pork lasted longer. This made possible the long distance journeys of the famous clipper area, think of tea race or wheat races. And during this long distance journeys of the 19th and early 20th century they had more ill/dead sailors from scurvy (lacking fresh fruit/vegetables) than they had in the centuries before. Georg Nonsense!
Fishing was a coastal business then, not a basis
to feed men on the overburdened “sea prisons”.

18th century navies did not make far distance voyages
in a single run, if any! So there was always chance
to replenish food.
Canning did not change much to the food for sailors
in 19th century, just the beef and pork lasted longer.
This made possible the long distance journeys of the famous
clipper area, think of tea race or wheat races.
And during this long distance journeys of the 19th
and early 20th century they had more ill/dead sailors from scurvy
(lacking fresh fruit/vegetables) than they had in the
centuries before.
Georg

]]> By: Geoffrey.Frasz http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2012/03/27/old-bones-tell-the-tales-and-reveal-the-diets-of-18th-century-sailors/#comment-32234 Geoffrey.Frasz Tue, 27 Mar 2012 17:40:25 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/?p=36043#comment-32234 The resistance to eating fish by sailors is a reflection of land diet habits. It also showed up in the collapse of the settlements in Greenland because of the reliance on cattle and also in the near starvation of Lewis and Clark's men when they wintered on the Pacific coast and venison meat was scarce, and the ignored plenty of fish in the ocean and the Columbia River The resistance to eating fish by sailors is a reflection of land diet habits. It also showed up in the collapse of the settlements in Greenland because of the reliance on cattle and also in the near starvation of Lewis and Clark’s men when they wintered on the Pacific coast and venison meat was scarce, and the ignored plenty of fish in the ocean and the Columbia River

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