Early Years
Frederick Grant Banting was born on the fourteenth of November, 1891. He was the youngest of the five children of William Thompson Banting and and Margaret Grant. At a young age, Frederick seemed destined to do great things. He received a medical degree at in 1916, and a Military Cross for heroism under fire, in 1919. He was, in fact, already on the road to greatness.
THe Idea
A young Banting
Diabetes is a disease in which the pancreas (an organ which controls blood sugar levels) stops working. The high blood sugar levels then cause many different problems. In Banting's time, diabetes was basically a death sentence.The problem of diabetes had been in the back of Frederick's mind ever since a childhood friend of his had died from it at the age of fourteen.
In 1920 Frederick was a poor doctor, with a struggling practice in London Ontario. Then one night he couldn't sleep. He started to read an article in a medical journal concerning diabetes. He was reading about how it was believed that a part of the pancreas called the Islets of Langerhans were responsible for maintaining a healthy blood sugar level. Suddenly, everything clicked. If only he could destroy the rest of the pancreas, he could isolate this substance (isletin, he called it, since it came from the Islets of Langerhans), and possibly use it to treat diabetes.
In 1920 Frederick was a poor doctor, with a struggling practice in London Ontario. Then one night he couldn't sleep. He started to read an article in a medical journal concerning diabetes. He was reading about how it was believed that a part of the pancreas called the Islets of Langerhans were responsible for maintaining a healthy blood sugar level. Suddenly, everything clicked. If only he could destroy the rest of the pancreas, he could isolate this substance (isletin, he called it, since it came from the Islets of Langerhans), and possibly use it to treat diabetes.
The Search
Artisitic representation of Banting and Best
in their Laboratory
Banting had an idea, but what could he do now? he was quite poor and had no one to help him with his research. He was convinced, though, that he had something, so he went to J.J.R. Macleod of the University of Toronto. Macleod was skeptical (he knew of other scientists who had tried the same thing and failed) but he was leaving soon on vacation for his native Scotland, and so he let Banting try it out. He even gave him some dogs to experiment on, and a young student, Charles Best, to help him. They then got to work. Their search took a long time.
The Breakthrough
Leonard Thompson, the first human ever to be administered insulin
Eventually Banting and Best managed to obtain some of the secretion from a dog which had had all of its pancreas except the Islets of Langerhans destroyed. They administered this secretion to another dog which had had its pancreas completely removed. A noticeable drop in its blood sugar ocurred!
It had, however, taken the newly discovered isletin (now insulin) from several dogs to save one dog. Eventually a method was adopted of extracting more insulin from the pancreata, but it still had to be purified. So to the team (for this is what it was now) of Banting, Best, and Macleod, was added a biochemist James Collip.
Eventually they had purified a batch of the insulin (this time from cattle pancreata) and were ready to administer it to a diabetic 14 year old named Leonard Thompson. He had an allergic reaction to the first batch. Aparently, it was not purified enough. They quickly scraped up another batch, this time more purified. And it worked! Leonard Thpmpson had sucessfully been treated for diabetes with insulin!
It had, however, taken the newly discovered isletin (now insulin) from several dogs to save one dog. Eventually a method was adopted of extracting more insulin from the pancreata, but it still had to be purified. So to the team (for this is what it was now) of Banting, Best, and Macleod, was added a biochemist James Collip.
Eventually they had purified a batch of the insulin (this time from cattle pancreata) and were ready to administer it to a diabetic 14 year old named Leonard Thompson. He had an allergic reaction to the first batch. Aparently, it was not purified enough. They quickly scraped up another batch, this time more purified. And it worked! Leonard Thpmpson had sucessfully been treated for diabetes with insulin!
After The discovery
Frederick Banting on the cover of Time magazine
Banting had now discovered the secret of treating diabetes, and he had the rights to it. However, he wanted it to be available to everyone, and he could not provide this. So, he sold the rights to it to the University of Toronto, for one dollar. insulin had become available to all. He was heaped with numerous awards including a Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, and he made it to the cover of Time Magazine.
Each member of the team returned to their own project. Frederick attempted to create a suit which would help prevent fighter pilots from blacking out. He also gave time to his hobby of painting, and he received many letters and presents from diabetics who had been saved by his discovery.
Each member of the team returned to their own project. Frederick attempted to create a suit which would help prevent fighter pilots from blacking out. He also gave time to his hobby of painting, and he received many letters and presents from diabetics who had been saved by his discovery.
Learn more about Frederick Banting;
Thank you for reading about Frederick Banting, the Greatest Canadian
Sources
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_Banting
www.collectionscanada.gc.ca ›
banting.fellowships-bourses.gc.ca ›
www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/articles/sir-frederick-grant-banting
www.utoronto.ca/bantresf/AboutUs/Banting.html
www.myhero.com/hero.asp?hero=Banting
www.scienceheroes.com/index.php?option=com_content...
www.collectionscanada.gc.ca ›
banting.fellowships-bourses.gc.ca ›
www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/articles/sir-frederick-grant-banting
www.utoronto.ca/bantresf/AboutUs/Banting.html
www.myhero.com/hero.asp?hero=Banting
www.scienceheroes.com/index.php?option=com_content...