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How did Vasco da Gama sail for 16 weeks without developing scurvy?

2003; Elsevier BV; Volume: 361; Issue: 9367 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1016/s0140-6736(03)13131-5

1474-547X

E. Martini,

Vitamin C and Antioxidants Research

On July 8, 1497, Vasco da Gama set sail from Lisbon, Portugal, in search of a sea passage to India.1Alvaro Velho A Ravenstein EG Journal of the first voyage of Vasco da Gama 1497–1499. South Asia Books, Columbia1998Google Scholar After docking at the Cape Verde islands for several days, he made a wide sweep out into the Atlantic Ocean. On Nov 7, after 16 weeks at sea, his small fleet approached the African coast near the Cape. None of the crew had developed scurvy—an unknown disease at the time—despite the fact that the disease normally develops in less than 10 weeks in the absence of appropriate foods.2Estes JW Naval surgeon: life and death at sea in the age of sail. Science History Publications, Canton1998: 156-160Google Scholar On Jan 11, the fleet anchored off Mozambique. After 5 weeks at sea, the symptoms of scurvy began to appear among the crew. Fortunately, some weeks later, they arrived at Mombassa, where the King fed them oranges and lemons, clearing up the condition. The ships then called at Malindi, Kenya, before beginning their voyage across the Indian Ocean to Calicut (Kozhikode); a journey that took 4 weeks. After a stay of 4 months, da Gama left India in a hurry. The next 3 months at sea were a nightmare and, not surprisingly, scurvy killed many sailors. On Jan 7, 1499, the ships anchored at Malindi, where the sailors, remembering their previous cure in Mombassa, asked for oranges. Nevertheless, 55 men died from a "disease which started in the mouth".1Alvaro Velho A Ravenstein EG Journal of the first voyage of Vasco da Gama 1497–1499. South Asia Books, Columbia1998Google Scholar 6 months on, the surviving sailors arrived back in Lisbon. Thus, Vasco da Gama recorded a treatment for scurvy 250 years before James Lind undertook his famous experiment with citrus juices.3Carpenter KJ The history of scurvy and vitamin C. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge1986Google Scholar, 4Martini E Scurvy: the sea plague.in: O'Neil YV Albou P Rigau-Perez JG Proceedings of the 37th International Congress on the History of Medicine. UTMB, Galveston2002: 307-312Google Scholar But, his journey to India raises another issue. In the early stages of the voyage, how did the explorer sail for 16 weeks without developing scurvy? From all available evidence, it seems that citrus fruits were not included in the sailors' rations.1Alvaro Velho A Ravenstein EG Journal of the first voyage of Vasco da Gama 1497–1499. South Asia Books, Columbia1998Google Scholar What is more, the crew succumbed to the disease during two other legs of the journey. I propose, therefore, that da Gama did not actually spend 16 weeks at sea. Since navigation in the Atlantic led ships close to the South American coast, perhaps he stopped in Brazil; though the country was officially discovered by Pedro Alvares Cabral in 1500, many historians believe that it was secretly known to the Portuguese before.5Diffie BW A history of colonial Brazil, 1500–1792. Krieger Publishing Company, Malabar1987Google Scholar In Vasco da Gama's account of the journey, no record survives of the period he spent in the Atlantic Ocean— perhaps the explorer had something to hide.