Etiology time, and often lacked fresh fruit and vegetables. Without knowing the precise cause, Captain James Cook suspected scurvy was caused by the lack of vegetables in the diet. Based on his suspicion, he forced his crew to eat sauerkraut, a cabbage preparation, every day, and based upon the positive outcomes, he inferred that it prevented scurvy, even though he did not know precisely why. It took about another two hundred years to discover the precise etiology: the lack of vitamin C in a sailor's diet. An etiological myth, or origin myth, is a myth intended to explain the origins of
British military rations during the French and Indian War which often led to outbreaks of scurvy, both in the field and in garrison. To avoid this, local spruce beer began to be used to supplement the rations with additional vitamin C. Spruce beer was not consistently used, however, but primarily in reaction to occurrences of scurvy. An army brewery was founded at Fort Pitt in 1765. During field conditions, the soldiers often went hungry as the supply chains could not be maintained due to long distances, primitive transportation and difficult terrain. Fresh food was also easily spoiled during hot summers. In garrison the regular ration was supplemented with vegetables