Sir Frederick Banting (1891 - 1941)
Written by Gail Whiteside
Published by 50plus.com
One autumn night in
1920, Dr. Frederick Banting read an article about the pancreas. Later that
evening, the surgeon jotted down his idea for an experimental procedure.
Although he had no formal training in medical research, the notes he took
that night proved to be invaluable. They were the catalyst for the
discovery of insulin. Under the direction of J.R.R. Macleod, head of the
department of Physiology at the University of Toronto, Banting and Charles
Best, a graduate student, isolated insulin.
Then, with the help of colleague James Collip, they purified the insulin to test it on humans.
The results were remarkable, and gave new hope for diabetics. Now, their
sugar levels could be regulated by insulin. The 1923 Nobel Prize for
medicine was awarded jointly to Banting and Macleod. Banting divided his
share with Best; Macleod split his portion with Collip. Countless lives
have been saved thanks to the tireless work of Sir Frederick Banting and
his colleagues.
Photo courtesy
of the Banting House National Historic Site
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