From the late 18th century, Chief Prepare while some had discovered that deficiencies in supplement C caused the scurvy.
Liquids stored in wooden barrels carry out getting extremely stale immediately after a great month or two. Mice and mice create get into the new open barrels and you will drown, and alga would build regarding drums and then make individuals violently sick. The link between cholera and contaminated liquids wasn’t discovered up to 1848, but even with that it, vessels continued to draw liquid out of polluted canals for the slots you to definitely they went to.
To pass through the new sailors and you will people, areas was indeed kept in the brand new hold and open as needed by the the brand new cooks. Stores such pickled animal meat (chicken or meat during the brine) flour, sugar and you may dried pulses (peas) was in fact continued panel when you look at the wood barrels. These barrels was in fact constantly suitable that have lids, however, was in fact will left unlock overnight. The businesses might be raided of the eager rats and you may mice, making contours from their nocturnal visits, therefore the cereals and you may flour areas have been have a tendency to infested 
that have weevils. Adulterated water and food brought about diseases particularly dysentery getting common, resulting in many fatalities towards certain voyages.