▁do ▁with ▁comb ating ▁sc ur vy , ▁which ▁was ▁a ▁disease ▁of ▁long ▁ocean ▁voy ages ▁– ▁not ▁of ▁squad rons ▁operating ▁among ▁islands ▁where ▁there ▁was ▁an ▁abund ance ▁of ▁f ruits ▁and ▁fresh ▁food st uff s ▁– ▁and ▁was ▁seen ▁by ▁the ▁medical ▁establishment ▁( in correct ly ) ▁as ▁the ▁consequence ▁of ▁poor ▁dig estion ▁and ▁internal ▁put ref action . ▁Standard ▁medical ▁rem ed ies ▁foc uss ed ▁on ▁" ging ering ▁up " ▁the ▁system ▁by ▁im bib ing ▁a ▁variety ▁of ▁( ine ffect ive ) ▁f iz zy ▁or ▁fer ment ing ▁drink s . ▁ ▁Until ▁an ▁official ▁daily ▁issue ▁of ▁le mon ▁ju ice ▁was ▁introduced ▁into ▁the ▁Royal ▁Navy ▁in ▁ 1 7 9 5 , ▁sc ur vy ▁continued ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁deb il it ating ▁disease ▁which ▁destroyed ▁men ▁and ▁disabled ▁ships ▁and ▁whole ▁fle ets . ▁Se amen ▁and ▁sur ge ons ▁knew ▁from ▁practical ▁experience ▁that ▁cit rus ▁ju ice ▁c ured ▁sc ur vy , ▁but ▁were ▁una ware ▁of ▁the ▁reason , ▁because ▁vit amin ▁C ▁was ▁only ▁discovered ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 2 . ▁In ▁ 1 7 9 5 , ▁in ▁def iance ▁of ▁medical ▁opinion , ▁the ▁Admir alty ▁introduced ▁le mon ▁ju ice ▁and ▁sugar ▁as ▁a ▁regular ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁naval ▁di et . ▁When ▁a ▁few ▁years ▁later ▁Spain ▁al lied ▁itself ▁with ▁France ▁and ▁lem ons ▁became ▁un ob tain able , ▁West ▁Indian ▁l imes ▁were