{"id":62,"date":"2010-01-26T04:12:29","date_gmt":"2010-01-26T04:12:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/buckroth.wordpress.com\/2010\/01\/26\/insulin-discovered-or-invented\/"},"modified":"2010-01-26T04:12:29","modified_gmt":"2010-01-26T04:12:29","slug":"insulin-discovered-or-invented","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/mydiabeticsoul.com\/?p=62","title":{"rendered":"Insulin: Discovered or Invented?"},"content":{"rendered":"

The history of insulin goes back to the early 1920s.\u00a0 \u201cDr. Frederick Banting and Charles Best are known as the discoverers of insulin.\u00a0 They first extracted insulin from the pancreases of dogs in 1921.\u201d\u00a0 www.TheHistoryOfInsulin.com and <\/strong>ww.Dr.CharlesBanting.com<\/strong><\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0 Ingenuity and desperation were the necessary mothers of this invention, so to speak. As a child, I was often reminded or heard remarks pertaining to\u00a0the organs of cadaver cows and pigs that were used for their extraction of pancreatic fluids – insulin – for human use. The documented history of this disease amazes me as well as answers some questions. For one, how did people survive? They didn\u2019t. How was it detected, diagnosed? How did anyone know what to do? I learned most of this through my research preparation of the yearly Science Fair at St. Mary\u2019s. I never won, but I am sure I brought early attention to parents and peers to this disease. That was my sole purpose. It was unpopular in the early 1970\u2019s. People didn\u2019t seem to care as long as there was \u2018insulin.\u2019\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0 There is one story I heard of or read about of how a person had to sharpen his\/her own needles. How was that done? I have never found an answer and this question will remain in my mind. I am very curious.<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0 There is another story I came across some time ago that I will never forget. During World War I, a highly educated and young husband and wife escaped the harsh European regime at the time. I recall that the wife was 19 years old and a schoolteacher. Although she suspected she was sick, suffering with typical diabetes symptoms, medication was not easily available. Not until they made their own from the cadaver of a cow. To make a long story short, she survived on this concoction until arriving in America where she was able to purchase\u00a0animal extracted insulin. This full yet short story can be found in an older issue of Diabetes Interview, specifically Issue 114, Volume 11, Number 1 \u00a9 2002, page 50, entitled \u201cEva\u2019s Insulin<\/em>,\u201d written by Radha Mclean. It is truly awe-inspiring and worth your research and reading. Interestingly enough, through my research, I also found a substance extracted from, believe it or not, salmon that enhanced insulin that same time period. Amazing.<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0 I have always wondered how it was for many people many, many years ago who suffered with and through the systems and agony of diabetes, even before it was named. I can only think that their lives were short and uncomfortable.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0 As a \u201ccontrolled substance, my use of insulin for over fifty years leads me to believe that I am an addict. I have had to use it, I need it, I crave it, I want it. These are the standard physical and emotional strains as with any drug, legal or illegal. Reality check!<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0 Present day \u201celders\u201d of this disease, whom I prefer to call \u201cchampions\u201d are those individuals whom I have only read about that have dealt with diabetes for longer than I. This fact continues to amaze and awe me; to have this disease for 50, 60, 70, and even 80 years is mind-blowing. I\u2019m right there with them if only due to my choice to live while having a strong spirit.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The history of insulin goes back to the early 1920s.\u00a0 \u201cDr. Frederick Banting and Charles Best are known as the discoverers of insulin.\u00a0 They first extracted insulin from the pancreases of dogs in 1921.\u201d\u00a0 www.TheHistoryOfInsulin.com and ww.Dr.CharlesBanting.com. \u00a0\u00a0 Ingenuity and … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-62","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/mydiabeticsoul.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/62","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/mydiabeticsoul.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/mydiabeticsoul.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/mydiabeticsoul.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/mydiabeticsoul.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=62"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/mydiabeticsoul.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/62\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/mydiabeticsoul.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=62"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/mydiabeticsoul.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=62"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/mydiabeticsoul.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=62"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}