<P> However , it was not until 1747 that James Lind formally demonstrated that scurvy could be treated by supplementing the diet with citrus fruit , in one of the first ever reported controlled clinical experiments in the history of medicine . In 1753 , Lind published A Treatise of the Scurvy , in which he explained the details of his clinical trial , but it occupied only a few paragraphs in a work that was long and complex and had little impact . In fact , Lind himself never actively promoted lemon juice as a single ' cure ' . He shared medical opinion at the time that scurvy had multiple causes -- notably hard work , bad water , and the consumption of salt meat in a damp atmosphere which inhibited healthful perspiration and normal excretion - and therefore required multiple solutions . He was also sidetracked by the possibilities of producing a concentrated ' rob ' of lemon juice by boiling it . Unfortunately this process destroyed the vitamin C and was unsuccessful . </P>
<P> However , it was not until 1747 that James Lind formally demonstrated that scurvy could be treated by supplementing the diet with citrus fruit , in one of the first ever reported controlled clinical experiments in the history of medicine . In 1753 , Lind published A Treatise of the Scurvy , in which he explained the details of his clinical trial , but it occupied only a few paragraphs in a work that was long and complex and had little impact . In fact , Lind himself never actively promoted lemon juice as a single ' cure ' . He shared medical opinion at the time that scurvy had multiple causes -- notably hard work , bad water , and the consumption of salt meat in a damp atmosphere which inhibited healthful perspiration and normal excretion - and therefore required multiple solutions . He was also sidetracked by the possibilities of producing a concentrated ' rob ' of lemon juice by boiling it . Unfortunately this process destroyed the vitamin C and was unsuccessful . </P>
who showed that poor diet could result in scurvy
who showed that poor diet could result in scurvy
James Lind
James Lind