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Development of maritime trade and war at sea during the modern era led to the appearance of new and extremely harsh lifestyles. From the end of the 17th century onwards, French doctors began to write specifically about the health and material living conditions of sailors. Through these writings, and particularly through printed material, a specialised medical discourse was gradually being structured, mainly under the influence of British authors and under pressure from the monarchy and from officers worried about the casualties of the Seven Years’ War. However, these works were not only linked to the context of Franco-British rivalry and exchange, as shown by the continuity of publications beyond the upheavals of the Revolution. Above all, they meet the needs of the entire maritime world. The aim was therefore to inform lay people such as officers, captains and, more rarely, all sailors, to encourage them to take measures to protect their men and to provide a framework for the action of those providing care on board. These works contribute much more to the preservation of the health of these sailors than to the reform and adaptation of their medical care. This study focuses on the conditions of birth and development of a literary genre dedicated to the ‘preservation of the health of seafarers’ in France from the beginning of the 18th century to the beginning of the 19th century. This issue lends itself to the analysis of the rhetorical, literary and epistemological aspects of these printed works as much as to the exploration of the conceptions and practices at the service of the health of crewmen.; Le développement du commerce maritime et de la guerre sur mer durant l’époque moderne entraîne l’apparition de modes de vie inédits et extrêmement durs. Dès la fin du XVIIe siècle, des médecins français se mettent à écrire spécifiquement sur la santé et les conditions matérielles d’existence des marins. Se révèle progressivement, au travers de ces écrits, et particulièrement des imprimés, un discours médical spécialisé en cours de structuration, principalement sous l’influence des auteurs britanniques et sous la pression de la monarchie et des officiers inquiets des pertes de la guerre de Sept Ans. Ces ouvrages ne sont toutefois pas seulement liés au contexte de rivalité et d’échange franco-britanniques comme en témoigne la continuité des publications par-delà les bouleversements révolutionnaires. Ils répondent surtout aux besoins de l’intégralité du monde maritime. Il s’agit donc de renseigner les profanes que sont les officiers, les capitaines et plus rarement l’ensemble des marins, de les engager à prendre des mesures pour protéger leurs hommes et d’encadrer l’action des soignants embarqués. Ces ouvrages concourent bien plus à la préservation de la santé de ces marins qu’à la réforme et à l’adaptation de leur prise en charge médicale. Cette étude s’intéresse aux conditions de naissance et de développement d’un genre littéraire dédié à la « conservation de la santé des gens de mer » en France du début du XVIIIe siècle au début du XIXe siècle. Ce questionnement se prête à l’analyse des aspects rhétoriques, littéraires et épistémologiques de ces imprimés tout autant qu’à l’exploration des conceptions et pratiques au service de la santé des hommes d’équipage.

International audience; The two archaeological campaigns to excavate the Jort necropolis (Calvados, France), dating to the La Tène D period, revealed a site of exceptional interest for the large number of immature individuals, of which the majority was under five years old. This concentration of immature individuals is unique for this period and region, and as yet there is no obvious explanation accounting for it. The palaeopathological examination of our collection showed a significant recurrence of pathological lesions that are usually associated with deficiency diseases. This population at Jort thus displays a palaeopathological profile potentially indicating a famine situation that could have been related to the serious social instability that characterised the end of the La Tène culture.; Les deux campagnes de fouilles de la nécropole de Jort (Calvados), datant de La Tène finale, ont permis de mettre en évidence un site exceptionnel par son recrutement funéraire, constitué majoritairement d’enfants de moins de cinq ans. Cette concentration d’immatures est une découverte inédite pour cette période et dans la région Normandie, ne trouvant aucune explication évidente à ce jour. L’examen paléopathologique de notre collection met en évidence une forte récurrence de lésions pathologiques décrites comme associées à des phénomènes carentiels. La population de Jort présente ainsi un profil paléopathologique pouvant s’inscrire dans une situation de famine qui est à mettre en rapport avec la grande instabilité sociale de la fin de La Tène.

Ensuring food security has always been a crucial challenge for humanity. Although food resources are abundant, the frequent difficulty in accessing them, which arose from their remoteness or seasonality, could only be overcome by preservation methods that give food a composition resistant to microbial deterioration. Geopolitical rivalries have arisen from the competition for access to these resources. This article explains the mechanism of operation of traditional methods of conservation and describes the products obtained as well as the main health risk generated by a diet devoid of fresh food : the scurvy. Historical data is gathered on some products as well as on the geopolitical consequences arising from rivalries for access to food resources. In the contemporary globalized market the methods and objectives of food preservation have changed a lot, however the international context of conflict persists., Depuis toujours, assurer sa suffisance alimentaire a été un challenge crucial pour l’humanité. Bien que les ressources alimentaires soient abondantes, la difficulté fréquente pour y accéder, qui venait de leur éloignement ou de leur saisonnalité, n’a pu être surmontée que par des méthodes de conservation conférant aux aliments une composition résistant à l’altération microbienne. Des rivalités géopolitiques sont nées de la compétition pour accéder à ces ressources. Cet article expose le mécanisme de fonctionnement des méthodes traditionnelles de conservation et décrit les produits obtenus ainsi que le principal risque sanitaire généré par une alimentation dépourvue de produits frais : le scorbut. Des données historiques sont rassemblées sur quelques produits ainsi que sur les conséquences géopolitiques nées des rivalités pour accéder à ces ressources alimentaires. Sur le marché mondialisé contemporain, les méthodes et les objectifs de la conservation des aliments ont bien changé, cependant le contexte conflictuel international perdure., Bonne Richard. Les méthodes traditionnelles de conservation des aliments et l’enjeu historique et géopolitique de la suffisance alimentaire. In: Bulletin de l'Académie Vétérinaire de France tome 174, 2021. pp. 261-270.

Scurvy is a clinical syndrome resulting from ascorbic acid deficiency. Although presently rare in the developed world, it continues to occur within certain susceptible populations, particularly the elderly and those with dietary habits with low vitamin C intake.Two men aged 87 and 69 were referred with multifactorial, progressive ulceration of the lower limbs, without scarring, in a context of arterial disease and other associated comorbidities. In both cases, the level of vitamin C was undetectable. An improvement in the necrotic component and in the purpura was promptly observed after vitamin C supplementation.Diagnosis of scurvy can be challenging. This report highlights the importance of maintaining a high index of suspicion for scurvy in atypical necrotic ulcerations of lower extremities with poor response to standard therapy especially in populations at high risk of vitamin C deficiency. Early diagnosis can improve patient prognosis.

In elderly or chronically ill patients, nutritional deficiencies are common and the presence of related skin lesions is not unusual. Recognition of such cutaneous involvement is important regarding the diagnosis essentially based on clinical elements. By using some clinical case reports, we will describe several pathologies related to nutritional deficiencies like scurvy, pellagra and acquired acrodermatitis enteropathica.Dans nos populations de patients vieillissants ou atteints de maladies chroniques, les carences nutritionnelles sont fréquentes et la présence de manifestations dermatologiques associées n’est pas rare. La reconnaissance de telles atteintes cutanées est importante pour le diagnostic qui est essentiellement clinique. A l’aide de vignettes cliniques, nous allons discuter ici de pathologies carentielles comme le scorbut, la pellagre ainsi que l’acrodermatite entéropathique acquise.

Hemolacria is a rare hemorrhagic syndrome characterized by bloody tears. The most common etiologies are inflammation, infection or laceration. However, other rarer diseases may also cause this clinical manifestation.We describe the case of a 14-year-old male patient hospitalized for hemolacria. A history of von Willebrand disease was present in his family, diagnosed in his mother and sister, but absent in our patient. A vitamin C dosage was obtained in our patient and revealed scurvy consecutive to malnutrition. After having excluded other bleeding symptoms like bruises we retained vitamin C deficiency as the etiology of the hemorrhagic syndrome.Bloody tears are a rare clinical manifestation and the etiology may be difficult to determine. Bloody tears are a rare clinical manifestation of hemorrhagic syndrome. To determine the underlying etiology, screening should consider all possible causes including the rarest.

L’histoire de la santé des enfants à l’époque romaine connaît depuis quelques années un nouveau tournant grâce au développement des techniques d’analyses bio-archéologiques. Les recherches en cours à Avenches (Aventicum) en Suisse apportent aujourd’hui des informations inédites sur les carences nutritionnelles des tout petits, comme sur l’état de santé général des adultes, sous l’Empire. Cette recherche est soutenue par le Fonds National Suisse dans le cadre du projet "To be a child in Roman Aventicum/Avenches (1st-3rd c. AD): Evidence on health, disease and feeding practices from bioarchaeology and stable isotope analysis" (2016-2019)CR13I1_166559

Scurvy, or "Barlow's disease", is a widely described disease involving cutaneous and mucosal lesions resulting from vitamin C deficiency. Herein, we report a case of scurvy in a 48-year-old woman that was unusual in its atypical cutaneous-mucosal presentation as well as its association with anorexia nervosa.A 48-year-old woman treated for depression for several years was admitted to hospital for her impaired general state of health. Over the last year, she had presented palmoplantar rash and episodes of perimalleolar oedema. The clinical examination showed the patient to have wasting syndrome, with a BMI of 11.9kg/mThe absence of classical buccal-dental symptoms and the presence of keratotic dermatosis with fissures and ulcers on the hands and feet are atypical in scurvy; however, this diagnosis was confirmed by the existence of purpura evoking capillary fragility, the patient's drastically low vitamin C level and the rapid subsidence of symptoms following treatment with oral vitamin C alone. Anorexia nervosa was doubtless the cause of deficiency. This situation is rare and a systematic review of the literature in Medline via PubMed showed that only three reports of scurvy associated with mental anorexia have been published since 1975.

The author explains military surgeon Balme's biograpyhy, especially during Bonaparte's Egyptian campaign (1798-1801). As there is some possible confusion with another Claude Balme, some archives deserve to be closely scrutinized. Through Balme's reports the author insists on his courageous part in several scurvy or plague epidemics. He was himself marked on his face; he ended his life in Lyons as a town-councillor.

Scurvy is the clinical manifestation of a deficiency in vitamin C, which is present in fresh fruits and vegetables. It is historically linked to the era of great maritime expeditions. Manifestations are misleading in children, in contrast with adults: bone disease and hemorrhagic syndrome are the earliest and most frequent manifestations due to a collagen biosynthesis defect. Scurvy is an old, potentially fatal disease but is easily curable with ascorbic acid. It can be prevented with vitamin C treatment in pediatric populations with unusual eating habits. We describe two cases of pediatric scurvy in two 7-year-old boys who had dietary restrictions stemming from developmental disorders.

Vitamin C is a water soluble vitamin which is mainly fresh fruits and vegetables foodborne. Vitamin C deficiency is most often due to a lack of daily amount. Scurvy is characterized by the occurrence of fatigue, myalgia, arthralgia, purpura, bleeding disorders, and later by dental manifestations. Biological signs are nonspecific: anemia, hypocholesterolemia, hypoalbuminemia. Clinical suspicion is confirmed by the decrease in ascorbic acid level (2 mg/L). It must be interpreted in light of the acute phase reactants. The treatment is the administration of 1 g of vitamin C per day for 15 days. Vitamin C depletion (ascorbic acid: 2 to 5 mg/L) could induce long-term complications. The recommended dietary allowance of vitamin C protect from these risks.

Bonaparte's Egyptian Campaign (1798 - 1801), like all other episodes from the Napoleonic era, gave rise to an extensive literature on the subject, but most of all a significant medical literature. This fact is due to many reasons:--an important health service for this expeditionary corps of more than 36.000 men, with two main figures at its hea, Desgenettes and Larrey--but also with valuable subordinates like Assalini, Savaresi, Balme, Pugnet or Barbès.--A Commission for Science and Art, of which a few doctors and surgeons were members, but most of all pharmacists like Boudet or Rouyer--The presence in the field of Ludwig Frank, the nephew of the famous Johann Peter Frank.--The creation in Cairo of an Egyptian Institute and the publication of the masterly Description of Egypt and the establishment of printing houses.--The emergence of the myth of the Orient and its mysteries.--An extensive array of indigenous pathologies, which is characteristic of those countries. For instance: plague, dysentery, yellow fever, Egyptian ophthalmia, as well as more common diseases like tetanus, scurvy or venereal diseases. The main medical works that cover this period and its pathologies are skimmed.

A diet restricted to rice and boiled fruit and vegetables leads to vitamin C deficiency. We describe the third case, to our knowledge, of retinal hemorrhages related to scurvy. Reduced bilateral visual acuity in a 50-year-old patient was associated with macrocytic anemia, denutrition, and cutaneous ecchymoses. Oral vitamin C treatment provided subjective clinical improvement and regression of the retinal hemorrhages on fundus examination, with no side effects. Vitamin C plays an important role in collagen stability in vascular and bone walls.