The first physician-conducted clinical trial was in 1747.

In 1747, Dr. James Lind tested several scurvy treatments on crew members of the British naval ship Salisbury and discovered that lemons and oranges were the most effective in treating the condition. Lind is considered the first physician to have conducted a controlled clinical trial of the modern era. May 20 is known as International Clinical Trials Day, because Lind’s celebrated controlled trial began on that day in 1747.