Signs and Symptoms of Mariner's Disease

Mariner's disease (scurvy) still occurs where starvation is rampant.

Mariner's disease, also known as scurvy, is a wasting illness that is still common wherever starvation is common (for example, in parts of Africa). It was dubbed "mariners disease" in the Age of Sail (from the 16th to 19th centuries) because of its presence on ships, where even when food was plentiful, nutrition was poor.

Cause

Malnourishment will usually bring on scurvy, but specifically, the body lacks ascorbic acid. Vitamin C is a form of ascorbic acid. A healthy level of ascorbic acid in the blood is between 900 and 1,500 mg, and scurvy presents at levels below 500 mg.

Onset

Onset begins about three months after malnutrition begins. Early symptoms include weakness, lassitude, easy bruising, swelling in the extremities and clumsiness.

Terminus

Later symptoms include spongy, swollen gums, tooth loss, foul breath, and sallow skin with purple splotches. Sometimes, a sufferer will bleed from the hair roots and rectum.

Psychological

Common psychological manifestations include depression, with accompanying moroseness and lack of motivation. A mariner with scurvy simply had little energy for work.

Death

A sufferer will die of general malnutrition, but can also die from the hemorrhaging near the heart and brain that are specific to scurvy.

References

• "Scurvy"; Steven R. Bown; 2004
• "Vitamin C in Health and Disease"; Lester Packer and Jürgen Fuchs; 1997
• "The History of Scurvy and Vitamin C"; Kenneth J. Carpenter; 1988