Vitamin C - Some History
The word "ASCORBIC" means "Without Scurvy" in Latin.
Before citrus fruits, like lemons and limes, were discovered as good sources of ascorbic acid, sailors who went on long sea voyages had a rough experience. Up to two-thirds of the crew would die from scurvy aboard the ship.
Scurvy is the most extreme form of vitamin C deficiency. Symptoms include swelling of the joints, bleeding in the gums, and the bursting of tiny blood vessels just below the surface of skin. Thus, those ancient sailors suffered a very painful death from the scurvy.