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Apr 15, 1000
The Naming of Diabetes
Diabetes was first described and named by the Aratacus of Cappodocia. It came from the analogy that diabetic's urine is like water coming through a siphon. In addition, the smell of urine was first noted by Oxford physician, Thomas Willis. -
Discovery of Glycogen in Liver
A trained pharamacist named Claude Bernard first discovered that the liver stored glycogen and secreted a sugary substance into the blood. Initially, Bernard assumed that this substance is what caused diabetes. -
Von Mering's Discovery & Attempt
A German physician named Von Mering, discovered Bernard's liver theory when he found that removing the pancrease caused diabetes. Mering and his partner Minkowski, worked on extracting an antidiabetic substance from the pancrease, but failed. -
Discovery of Insulin
Insulin was first discoverd by an unsuccessful orthapedic surgeon by the name of Fredrick Banting, who believed that he could find the antidiabetic substance needed. After many failures, Banting and his group attempted to use an antidiabetic substance on two dogs with diabetes. Four days after the attempt, the control dog died BUT the dog that received the extract lived for an additional three weeks. -
First Human to Receive Insulin by Banting & Best
A 14-year old was the first human patient to receive insulin made by Banting and his partner, Best. Sadly, the injections failed to work. -
Successful Injections of Insulin
Although the first trial of a human patient to receive insulin failed, a biochemistry professor named J.B Collip was assigned to Banting's project and had actually created purified injections. These injections were proved successful because the patient's blood glucose levels dropped. -
Production of Insulin
The word began to spread that injections of insulin were effectively working. This led to the production of insulin within the United States by two men, Eli Lilly and Connaught. -
Crystalization of Insulin
As insulin began to become more of a commonality, it was used quite frequently. The first insulin that was created was more of a short acting 'soluble' or 'regular' insulin. In 1926, a man by the name of J.J Abel crystalized insulin. -
Current Insulin
In the United States today, biosynethic human insulin is made by recombinant DNA technology. This allows the production of insulin to be more effective and produce unlimited quantaties. Today, there are 4 types of insulin available: rapid acting, short acting, intermediate acting, and long-acting insulin. Compared to that off the early 1900s, the safeness, effectiveness, and quality of insulin has most definately advanced for the better, and continues to be effective for many patients worldwide.
