Knowledge Transfer and the Complex Story of Scurvy

The story of scurvy is an object lesson in adaptive policy development. The Royal Navy has traditionally been accused of delaying the application of research results for about 50 years before it introduced the use of fresh lemons and limes to eliminate scurvy among its sailors. In fact, the complex history of this policy shows just the opposite. It demonstrates the navy introduced citrus fruits well in advance of accepted scientific research, and that this introduction was a significant factor in the Napoleonic Wars. The story of the fight against scurvy in the UK can help us understand that adaptive policy development is not a new phenomenon.