The Discovery of Insulin


Book Description

The discovery of insulin at the University of Toronto in 1921-22 was one of the most dramatic events in the history of the treatment of disease. Insulin was a wonder-drug with ability to bring patients back from the very brink of death, and it was no surprise that in 1923 the Nobel Prize for Medicine was awarded to its discoverers, the Canadian research team of Banting, Best, Collip, and Macleod. In this engaging and award-winning account, historian Michael Bliss recounts the fascinating story behind the discovery of insulin – a story as much filled with fiery confrontation and intense competition as medical dedication and scientific genius. Originally published in 1982 and updated in 1996, The Discovery of Insulin has won the City of Toronto Book Award, the Jason Hannah Medal of the Royal Society of Canada, and the William H. Welch Medal of the American Association for the History of Medicine.




Breakthrough


Book Description

An “inspirational” account of how a young girl plight’s “launched a boon for diabetics the world over . . . A remarkable story . . . worthy reading” (Booklist). It is 1919 and Elizabeth Hughes, the eleven-year-old daughter of America’s most-distinguished jurist and politician, Charles Evans HugheAs, has been diagnosed with juvenile diabetes. It is essentially a death sentence. The only accepted form of treatment—starvation—whittles her down to forty-five pounds of skin and bones. Miles away, Canadian researchers Frederick Banting and Charles Best manage to identify and purify insulin from animal pancreases—a miracle soon marred by scientific jealousy, intense business competition and fistfights. In a race against time and a ravaging disease, Elizabeth becomes one of the first diabetics to receive insulin injections—all while its discoverers and a little known pharmaceutical company struggle to make it available to the rest of the world. Relive the heartwarming true story of the discovery of insulin as it’s never been told before. Written with authentic detail and suspense, and featuring walk-ons by William Howard Taft, Woodrow Wilson, and Eli Lilly himself, among many others. “[A] fascinating tale of Nobel Prize–winning research. . . . This book is an important read for anyone with diabetes. It is an enjoyable read for those who love mystery and human drama.” —Kenneth T. Jackson, Barzun Professor of History, Columbia University




Banting's Miracle


Book Description




Secondary Sources in the History of Canadian Medicine


Book Description

This work is a bibliography of secondary sources in Canadian medical history.




History of Medical Miracles and the Lives Behind Them


Book Description

The History of Medical Miracles and The Lives Behind Them uses biographies of physicians and scientists to explain the evolution of medical practice from its primitive beginnings to modern scientific medicine. It explores ancient Greek and Roman medicine, human anatomy, blood circulation, microbiology, vaccination, anesthetics, antiseptic surgery, germ theory, X-rays, insulin, penicillin, the structure of DNA, the Human Genome Project, and gene editing through the biographies of medical and scientific pioneers.




Miracles in Biochemistry


Book Description

It will be a source of inspiration to the science students, teachers and early career Biochemist.It explore the life and works of famous Biochemist, whose groundbreaking achievements won the Nobel Prize and shaped the field of Biochemistry.




Letter On Corpulence, Addressed To The Public


Book Description

Letter On Corpulence, Addressed To The Public , By William Banting. Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.




The 20th Century A-GI


Book Description

Each volume of the Dictionary of World Biography contains 250 entries on the lives of the individuals who shaped their times and left their mark on world history. This is not a who's who. Instead, each entry provides an in-depth essay on the life and career of the individual concerned. Essays commence with a quick reference section that provides basic facts on the individual's life and achievements. The extended biography places the life and works of the individual within an historical context, and the summary at the end of each essay provides a synopsis of the individual's place in history. All entries conclude with a fully annotated bibliography.




Nobel Laureates in Medicine or Physiology


Book Description

Originally published in 1990, Nobel Laureates in Medicine or Physiology is a biographical reference work about the recipients of Nobel Prizes in Medicine or Physiology from 1901-1989. Each article is written by an accomplished historian of medicine or science. The book is designed to be accessible to students and general readers as well as to specialists in medical science and history. Each article combines personal and scientific biography, and each has an extensive biography to guide further reading and research.




Bittersweet


Book Description

One of medicine's most remarkable therapeutic triumphs was the discovery of insulin in 1921. The drug produced astonishing results, rescuing children and adults from the deadly grip of diabetes. But as Chris Feudtner demonstrates, the subsequent transformation of the disease from a fatal condition into a chronic illness is a story of success tinged with irony, a revealing saga that illuminates the complex human consequences of medical intervention. Bittersweet chronicles this history of diabetes through the compelling perspectives of people who lived with this disease. Drawing on a remarkable body of letters exchanged between patients or their parents and Dr. Elliot P. Joslin and the staff of physicians at his famed Boston clinic, Feudtner examines the experience of living with diabetes across the twentieth century, highlighting changes in treatment and their profound effects on patients' lives. Although focused on juvenile-onset, or Type 1, diabetes, the themes explored in Bittersweet have implications for our understanding of adult-onset, or Type 2, diabetes, as well as a host of other diseases that, thanks to drugs or medical advances, are being transformed from acute to chronic conditions. Indeed, the tale of diabetes in the post-insulin era provides an ideal opportunity for exploring the larger questions of how medicine changes our lives.