 As a result, British seamen did not suffer from typhus, giving the British navy a significant competitive advantage over the French.In the 18th century sailors took along water, cordial and milk in casks.According to the "Regulations and Instructions relating to His Majesty's Service at Sea", which had been published for the first time in 1733 by the Admiralty, sailors were entitled to a gallon of weak beer daily (5/6 of the usual British gallon, equivalent to the modern American gallon or slightly more than three and a half litres).