Before the 1920s, a diagnosis of Type 1 diabetes was a death sentence. The body’s inability to produce insulin meant it couldn’t process sugar, so cells starved while glucose built up in the blood. The only available treatment was a grim one, pioneered by Dr. Frederick Allen. His patients were put on a 'starvation diet' of as little as 400 calories a day to minimize sugar intake. This could extend a child’s life by a few months, but it was a horrifying existence. Patients at his clinic were often described as ‘living ghosts,’ skeletal figures sometimes weighing as little as 45 pounds. It was a slow, inevitable decline into a coma and death, a reality that awaited thousands of children.
The Discovery of Insulin
How a team in Toronto discovered insulin in 1921 and turned type 1 diabetes from a death sentence into a treatable condition.
Chapter 1
A Fatal Diagnosis
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Frequently Asked Questions
What was diabetes treatment like before insulin?
Before insulin, Type 1 diabetes was fatal. The only treatment was a 'starvation diet' of as few as 400 calories a day. This could only prolong a patient's life by a few months or a year, and they were often skeletal and near death.
Who actually discovered insulin?
The discovery was a team effort. Frederick Banting had the initial idea, Charles Best helped him prove it in animal tests, and James Collip developed the purification method that made it safe for humans. J.J.R. Macleod provided the lab and oversight.
Why was the insulin patent sold for only $1?
The discoverers, particularly Frederick Banting, believed it was unethical to profit from a life-saving discovery. They sold the patent to the University of Toronto for a symbolic $1 to ensure no one held a monopoly and that the drug would be widely available.
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