One of the classic retorts to the amount of alcohol consumed was to note how unhealthy was the water! There is also a question in my mind as to how much was burned off by the physical labor demanded of seamen and officers at sea.
Bad water is a good argument for beer; I suppose the rum in grog might also help kill some bad stuff. And they definitely worked hard and needed lots of calories, so all that is true. That's also why I don't think we should overstate how much alcohol the sailors on the lower deck consumed. The officers, on the other hand...
One of the classic retorts to the amount of alcohol consumed was to note how unhealthy was the water! There is also a question in my mind as to how much was burned off by the physical labor demanded of seamen and officers at sea.
Bad water is a good argument for beer; I suppose the rum in grog might also help kill some bad stuff. And they definitely worked hard and needed lots of calories, so all that is true. That's also why I don't think we should overstate how much alcohol the sailors on the lower deck consumed. The officers, on the other hand...