Leg ulcers in the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries

Abstract

Compared to today, ulceration of the legs was much more common in the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries and occurred in much younger people. The evidence for this, based mainly on the records of the hospitals, the dispensaries and medical records of the navy and army, is discussed. It is likely that the underlying pathology was much more varied in the past, with the possibility that ascorbic acid deficiency played a significant part in the high frequency of leg ulcers.