Most of us know scurvy as the disease that plagued sailors on long voyages, with its bleeding gums and terrible weakness. We think the story ended when British ships started carrying lime juice. Alfred F. Hess's book shows us that's not even half the story. He was a doctor in the early 1900s who was still treating babies and children for scurvy in New York City. His book walks us through the long, confusing history of the disease and his own fight to prove that something as simple as fresh food or a little orange juice could prevent it.

Why You Should Read It

This isn't a dry medical text. Hess writes with the frustration of someone who has seen the answer ignored. You can feel his passion as he pieces together clues from old ship logs, failed Arctic expeditions, and his own hospital wards. The book becomes a detective story about a solved mystery that somehow got lost. It makes you wonder what simple truths we might be overlooking today in our own complex world.

Final Verdict

Perfect for anyone who enjoys true stories about human curiosity and stubbornness. If you like medical history, stories of scientific discovery, or even just a good puzzle, you'll get a lot from this compact book. It's a powerful reminder that progress isn't always a straight line, and that common sense can be the rarest tool of all.