{"id":72146,"date":"2026-05-20T11:53:57","date_gmt":"2026-05-20T15:53:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.imperialcrs.com\/blog\/?p=72146"},"modified":"2026-05-20T11:53:57","modified_gmt":"2026-05-20T15:53:57","slug":"celebrating-clinical-trials-day-from-a-shipboard-study-site-to-today","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.imperialcrs.com\/blog\/patient-recruitment-and-retention\/celebrating-clinical-trials-day-from-a-shipboard-study-site-to-today\/","title":{"rendered":"Celebrating Clinical Trials Day: From a Shipboard Study Site to Today"},"content":{"rendered":"

Quick Summary<\/h2>\n

James Lind\u2019s 18th-century shipboard experiment is a landmark moment in the history of clinical research, demonstrating how controlled comparisons can reveal effective treatments. We reimagined his study with a modern protocol title and criteria, then connected his work to the professionals who advance research today.<\/em><\/p>\n

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The Surprising Origin of Randomized Controlled Clinical Trials<\/h2>\n

Clinical trials reach back much further than many people expect. On May 20, 1747, a Scottish surgeon named James Lind<\/a> began a monumental experiment aboard a British Royal Navy ship. Lind\u2019s work is a key moment in the history of clinical research, and his experiment is widely considered the first controlled randomized clinical trial in modern times.<\/p>\n

In the 18th century, scurvy was a serious health threat for sailors at sea. Lind divided 12 sailors suffering from scurvy into six pairs. He provided each pair with a different dietary supplement to observe which ones improved their symptoms.<\/p>\n

Lind carefully controlled the conditions so that all participants remained in similar circumstances. He chose men with similar symptoms, kept them in the same place, and gave them a common diet. Lind observed that the pair who received oranges and lemons improved far more than the others.<\/p>\n

\"ImageLind\u2019s experiment demonstrated that citrus fruits were the most effective treatment among the options he tested for preventing scurvy. And while his experiment is significant in the history of clinical research and his conclusions proved correct, his findings were not implemented for more than 40 years. Once citrus became a required part of sailors\u2019 diets, serious cases of scurvy largely disappeared.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s interesting to note that there were clues that citrus was the answer<\/a> to scurvy long before Lind got involved. But it took Lind, his experiment, and another 40 years before the benefits were put to use.<\/p>\n

History of Clinical Research Reimagined<\/h2>\n

Just for fun, I wrote a modern-day protocol title for Lind\u2019s experiment:<\/p>\n

A Prospective, Randomized, Controlled, Parallel Group Study Evaluating the Effect of Citrus and Other Dietary Interventions on Scurvy Symptoms in Royal Navy Sailors<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em>And I didn\u2019t stop there. Here is a modern version of Lind\u2019s inclusion-exclusion criteria:<\/p>\n

Inclusion Criteria<\/strong><\/p>\n