Scurvy was one of the most serious and misunderstood threats faced by early polar explorers. It is caused by a lack of vitamin C, a nutrient essential for maintaining healthy connective tissue in the body. Without it, the production of collagen breaks down, leading to fatigue, bleeding gums, joint pain, and eventually death.
During long expeditions, especially in the 18th and 19th centuries, explorers relied heavily on preserved foods such as salted meat and hard biscuits. These provisions could last for months or even years, but they contained little to no vitamin C. Fresh fruits and vegetables, the main sources of this nutrient, were almost impossible to obtain in polar regions. Even foods that originally contained some vitamin C often lost it during storage or preparation.
At the time, the cause of scurvy was not fully understood. Some believed it was linked to poor hygiene, cold weather, or lack of exercise. As a result, explorers often took measures that did little to prevent the disease. Although citrus juice had been shown to reduce scurvy in naval contexts, it was not always available, properly stored, or consistently used on polar journeys.
In contrast, Indigenous Arctic communities had long known how to avoid scurvy. Their diets included fresh meat, fish, and raw animal products, which contain enough vitamin C to remain healthy. This knowledge was based on generations of experience in extreme environments. Explorers who adopted these dietary practices were far less likely to suffer from the disease.
The effects of scurvy could be gradual but devastating. At first, symptoms were mild and easily overlooked. Over time, however, weakness increased, wounds failed to heal, and mobility declined. In the harsh polar environment, even a small loss of strength could become life-threatening, especially when travel, hunting, or hauling equipment were required.
Scurvy did not just affect individuals; it could determine the outcome of entire expeditions. Crews weakened by illness were slower, less able to respond to changing conditions, and more vulnerable to cold and starvation. In some cases, expeditions were forced to turn back. In others, the disease contributed directly to failure and loss of life. For many expeditions, the greatest danger was not the cold itself, but what the explorers did not yet understand.
Léa Zinsli, PolarJournal