Frederick Banting

A picture of Banting

Ordinary person:
Frederick wanted a good education and did anything to be successful. He completed high school and then went on to the University of Toronto. He went to study divinity but he transferred to the study of medicine. This led him to do many other things such as teaching at a University.

Later in 1916, Frederick went to serve in the First World War in France. In 1918, while in Cambrai he was shot. The shot was not deadly but medical attention was needed. Because of his progress he got an award in 1919. He was awarded the Military Cross for heroism under fire.

In London, Ontario, Frederick was struggling with a poor medical practice. He had problems keeping up his medical practice because he had many roles, such as teaching medical classes at the University of Western Ontario. Yes, Frederick was very much an ordinary person.

One of the dogs that was tested on by Banting

Extraordinary Circumstances:
While Banting was an ordinary person he also had many extraordinary circumstances. One of them was being awarded many times. The amazing part is he won awards before and after he discovered insulin. He won a M.D degree and a gold medal before he discovered insulin. Then later on he won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, after he discovered insulin. Also he was the first Canadian Nobel Laureate.

Banting then moved to Toronto after living in London so that he could expand his knowledge on diabetes. He tried his method on dogs, which was tying up the pancreatic ducts. It appeared to be working until the end of the summer of 1921. The method was abandoned. Even though the method was abandoned it led Frederick to finding the cure for diabetes.

Frederick Banting was killed on February 21, 1941 at the age of 50 while on a mission. He was killed in a plane crash while on a military medical mission in Newfoundland. This shocked many people because he was the man who saved the lives of many diabetics.

Banting and Best working in the over heated lab.

Odds stacked against Frederick Banting:
When Banting went to Toronto to try his experiment, John A. Macleod hated him. John had said that Banting was being mean to all the diabetic experts that had been researching diabetes for years. Later on John took credit for an experiment that seemed to be working that was created by Banting.

Banting then decided to look for lab space. Finding a lab took many months which delayed time. Finally he was given a lab by John James Richard Macleod which was surprising because John hated him.

Banting started working with Charles Best in May 1921. They worked in a lab that was overheated and under-funded. There were many bugs and mosquitoes biting them. The heat caused problems for the two men especially for Banting.

Mary Tyler Moore throwing her hat in the air

Banting prevails:
Banting created insulin that can help to control the blood sugar of diabetics. He first used the insulin on January 23, 1922 on a severe diabetic and it helped. In 2006 around 10-15% of diabetics use insulin. Most diabetics that use insulin have type 1 diabetes but some type two diabetics benefit from insulin too. If it wasn't for Banting, Halle Berry wouldn't have won an Oscar, BB King wouldn't have been one of the greatest jazz players and Mary Tyler Moore wouldn't have thrown her hat in the air.