| Lime Juice and Sauerkraut | |
|---|---|
| |
| Requires | None |
| Building Needed | Naval Board |
| Leads To | Preserved Foods |
| Stream | Naval, Military |
| Effects | |
| |
Lime Juice and Sauerkraut is a Technology in Empire: Total War.
Description[]
A man is what he eats and, if he eats properly, he will keep at bay some of those pitiable afflictions that weaken and destroy him.
Scurvy is a terrible, disabling and ultimately fatal risk to all seafarers and many others. Most ship's companies can expect to lose some of their number to its ravages. It begins mildly enough, with bad breath, bleeding gums, spots, and lays its victims low. Scurvy, however, is entirely avoidable if fresh fruit and vegetables are eaten. Failing that, the juice of limes can be stored aboard ships without losing its health-giving potency and sauerkraut (despite being pickled) can be a substitute for fresh cabbage.
In the 18th Century no one had the faintest idea that vitamin deficiency was the cause of scurvy, but a few clear thinkers recognised that something was missing from sailors' food. Scottish naval physician James Lind (1716-1794)proved by systematic experimentation that fresh fruit was a cure for scurvy, possibly the first clinical trial ever conducted. He also advocated keeping ships clean and fumigated, and should be seen for all these as a hero of naval medicine for the improvement he made to the sailor's lot.
General Information[]
As this technology is much more accessible than Steam Engine (which is required for construction of a Steam Drydock, research of Lime Juice and Sauerkraut allows for construction of nearly a nation's full roster of ships relatively early in the game as it unlocks the Naval Hospital.