Inspired by Banting and Best

The reprinting of the first page of the original report on the use of pancreatic extracts in the treatment of diabetes mellitus by Banting and Best, with the wonderful accompanying commentary by Cathy Younger-Lewis,1 gave me much joy, along with a heightened sense of the continuity of investigation motivated by curiosity and by the desire to help human beings in trouble.

Reading the page I felt humble as I was reminded of the brilliance of scientific perception at a point, 84 years ago, when the tools of both practice and research were so elemental. The ingenuity and perspicacity of the authors were anything but primitive, and their doggedness sets the bar for us today.

Publishing a facsimile of the title page rather than merely reprinting the words enhanced the impact 10-fold. Thank you for this antidote to all the money-related and other pressures that distract us from the idealism of our work. It is a privilege to be reminded that we belong to the same noble profession as Banting and Best and to read their words in the journal in which they were first published.