James Lind was born in Edinburgh on 4 October 1716 to James Lind, a merchant, and Margaret Smelholme. He attended grammar school in Edinburgh and in 1731 was apprenticed to George Langlands, a surgeon. In 1738, without formal qualification, Lind joined the Royal Navy as a surgeon, serving until 1748. His most famous work, 'A Treatise of the Scurvy' (1753), presented his theories on its causes and treatment. He died in Gosport on 18 July 1794.
