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James Lind is considered to be the father of clinical trials following his
experiment comparing six potential treatments for scurvy among
12 patients while at sea on board the Salisbury in
1747. This experiment is considered by many to be the first
example of a clinical trial using control groups. He reported
that the most sudden and visible effects were seen among the
two patients who received two oranges and one lemon daily.
Lind considered that the small number of patients used was
enough to provide conclusive evidence since the results were
so dramatic, although lemon juice was not routinely introduced
by the navy for nearly 50 years.
In order to read a much wider discussion of this trial including extracts from the original publication, the implications from the trial and other important landmark experiments you can refer to the James Lind online library ().
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