From our files

Frederick Banting and his colleagues at the University of Toronto reported the discovery of insulin in the March 1922 issue of the Canadian Medical Association Journal. The first human subject to receive their pancreatic extract was a 14-year-old boy with severe juvenile diabetes mellitus and ketosis. Before receiving the extract, the boy “was poorly nourished, pale, weight 65 pounds, hair falling out, odour of acetone on the breath. … He appeared dull, talked rather slowly, quite willing to lie about all day.” He received his first daily injection of the extract on Jan. 11, 1922. By Feb. 4, the boy was “brighter, more active, looked better and said he felt stronger.” This graph shows the effect of injections of the extract on the boy's glycosuria. Seven patients received the extract in this initial study. The researchers commented that “all patients were improved clinically. It is difficult to put in words what is meant by clinical improvement. Those who have been treating diabetes will have recognized as early signs of improvement a certain change in the skin, the appearance of the eyes, the behaviour of the patient, his mental and psychic activity, and the physical evidences, as well as his testimony, of increased vigor and desire to use his muscles.” (Banting FG, Best CH, Collip JB, Campbell WR, Fletcher AA. Pancreatic extracts in the treatment of diabetes mellitus. Preliminary report. CMAJ 1922;12:141-6.)