The 1857 Bonneville expedition against the Apache reportedly carried 700 gallons of vinegar. Why?
Sid Miller
Dripping Springs, Texas
During the age of exploration, scurvy was a common malady, and explorers and wagon train pioneers treated it with acidic substances, such as vinegar. Yet this actually proved ineffective. Limes and oranges provided the Vitamin C cure.
Marshall Trimble is Arizona’s official historian. His latest book is
Wyatt Earp: Showdown at Tombstone.
If you have a question, write: Ask the Marshall, P.O. Box 8008, Cave Creek, AZ 85327 or e-mail him at
marshall.trimble@scottsdalecc.edu
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Marshall Trimble is Arizona’s official historian and the Wild West History Association’s vice president. His latest book is 2018’s Arizona Oddities: A Land of Anomalies and Tamales. Send your question, with your city/state of residence, to marshall.trimble@scottsdalecc.edu or Ask the Marshall, P.O. Box 8008, Cave Creek, AZ 85327.