It's worth noting the critical details: how to prevent scurvy was understood, but the underlying mechanisms were not. This mattered because it meant why the tre

It's worth noting the critical details: how to prevent scurvy was understood, but the underlying mechanisms were not. This mattered because it meant why the treatment worked was not understood, with the result being a resurgence when a supposedly effective treatment turned out to be ineffectual. Basically, it's easy to think we understand something when we have a solution to it, but the two should not be automatically conflated.