Insulin’s Discovery Gave New Lives
During World War I, a group of children in a Toronto hospital ward were comatose and nearing death due to diabetic ketoacidosis. In walked a group of scientists who had been working on an insulin extract just the summer before, with their families already believing they were terminal. Among them was the famous Banting and Best duo.
As the children were given the injections, they gradually opened their eyes and emerged from their coma, and they were super excited and agile. For the past few months, scientists have been working on extracting insulin from pig and cow pancreas for the treatment of diabetes. In that hospital room, try to picture the parents’ reactions.