5 things you didn't know about Frederick Banting (or if you knew?)

Ninety -nine years ago, Dr. Frederick Banting appeared on the cover of Time magazine due to his incredible contribution in the diabetes treatment field.

Banting's work led to the understanding of how insulin works, how it can be isolated and, more importantly, how it can be used to manually control blood sugar levels in people with affected pancreas.But saving the lives of millions of people around the world is not the only impressive thing about man.How many of these data on Banting did you know?

not only a scientist, but also an artist.

Although better known for his medical research, Banting also had a great impact on artistic circles.

He faced many obstacles in his search to isolate insulin and make it available to people with type 1 diabetes. Many of these were stressful, and used art as a way of escape and as a way of relaxing.For him, the beauty of his paintings and sketches was in the act of making them.

He became friends with some of the important members of Canadian artistic circles in the first half of the twentieth century, including A.y Jackson, and his work became very popular and rare, especially after his early death.

a war hero

World War I dominates the history of the early twentieth century, as well as dominated the lives of people from all over the United Kingdom, Europe, America and Canada.Frederick Banting was not exempt and appeared before the Medical Service of the Canadian Army in 1916. Finally, he received the Military Cross for his "meritorious services in times of war."

Banting helped cure soldiers and save lives in the strenuous four -year war, even acting as a doctor while he was under fire and when he himself was seriously injured.

Dyed young, promoting medical research.

Although Banting, when World War II began, had long resolved his enigma to isolate insulin and use it to treat type 1 diabetes, he had not finished with his medical research.Unfortunately, this continuous investigation could be said that he led to his death.

He joined the National Research Council and began investigating what was called Aeronautical Medicine.This greatly involved the creation of a specialized suit that would prevent pilots from falling unconscious when they underwent the conditions of intense aircraft maneuvers.

Unfortunately, it was during a flight to Britain while helping to transfer the investigation to the Allied forces that the plane in which he was traveling crashed in Newfoundland.Despite surviving the initial accident, Banting unfortunately succumbed to his wounds in the following days.

banting was not alone

Although Banting is largely attributed to the work that led to the treatment of type 1 diabetes, did not do its job alone.Charles Best and John James Rickard "JJR" Macleod also played a very important role in development.
In fact, Macleod also received the Nobel Prize for the development of insulin treatment with Banting.The money given to them as part of the Nobel Prize was shared with Best and the rest of the research team that helped Banting and Macleod along the way.

However, Banting team was not the only one to discover the insulin and the role it plays.Nicolae Paulescu, a Romanian scientist, also claimed to have discovered its use almost at the same time.

flame of hope

As a way to commemorate not only Banting and his work, but all people living with diabetes worldwide, in 1989 he was erected in London, Ontario, a monument called Flame of Hope.

The monument is more than two meters high and in the upper part there is an eternal flame, which will constantly burn until a cure for diabetes is discovered.The flame was lit by the queen mother and serves as a reminder that insulin is just a treatment, not a cure, for type 1 diabetes.

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