Jervis became an early supporter of fresh vegetables, lemon juice, and a hospital ship for the fleet. By 18 November 1800, only sixteen of roughly 23,000 men returning to Torbay were hospital cases. The comparison with the far heavier sickness and death usually expected after time at sea shows how medical supply directly preserved blockade strength. Jervis's praise for the fleet's medical leadership treated health provision as part of fighting readiness.
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Scurvy prevention and Channel Fleet health
Fresh food, lemon juice, and medical support leave only sixteen hospital cases among roughly 23,000 men returning to Torbay in November 1800.