[jrockway]

I suppose that's why 1 part of rum got mixed with 4 parts water and some limes.

[dgoldstein0]

The lime got added to prevent scurvy, which was a major problem prior to it's addition

[Dah00n]

Even with its addition as they didn't use fresh lime (some even boiled it) for many years. People got both lime and scurvy.

Scurvy: The Disease of Discovery by J. Lamb is actually quite interesting.