Yeet 4 YEAHHH YEET Mr. Maiorano CHC2D1 10 April 2015 How Dr. Frederick Banting Defined Canada All nations attribute the positive aspects of their current status to significant events and achievements accomplished by outstanding citizens throughout history. Canada boasts of heroes and heroines who transformed its own history and that of the world at large. In 1922, one such historical figure by the name of Dr. Frederick Banting became a significant icon in the history of Canada and had managed to define a major part of both what it means to be Canadian and what Canada means to the world. Prior to Dr. Banting’s breakthrough discovery, diabetes often meant a very serious illness signifying the end of life. Dr. Banting had managed to change this brutal reality into one wherein diabetes can be treated and managed through his development of insulin. Through making such an important advancement in medical science, Dr. Banting had most defined the progressive, compassionate, and globally important nation of Canada that we know today. Through a series of experiments that Dr. Banting and his team began in 1921, patients with Type 1 diabetes have since been given hope of living through their condition (Sherman). Their research relied on an earlier discovery on the two roles of pancreas in the body; that is, produce digestive juices and secrete a substance that seemed to regulate glucose level in the bodies of animals (“The Discovery of Insulin”). The glucose regulating substance became the key in treatment of patients suffering from Type 1 diabetes. Dr. Banting discovered that he could transfer this substance from the pancreas of one dog and inject it to another whose ability to regulate glucose levels had artificially been altered (“The Discovery of Insulin”). The results were groundbreaking and the diabetic dogs responded well to the injections, marking a major step forward in diabetes research (“The Discovery of Insulin”). Through the help of Professor John Macleod of the University of Toronto, they were able to continue their research (“The Discovery of Insulin”). Finally, in January of 1922, testing Dr. Banting’s developments in diabetes treatment on human beings had finally been completed and the results led to the ultimate development of the insulin treatment that is still used to this day (Simoni, Hill and Vaughan 31). Dr. Banting’s research and subsequent discoveries have allowed people suffering from Type 1 diabetes throughout the world to have a chance at living healthier and happier lives. Although his work had not entirely led to a cure for the disease, it had certainly improved quality and duration of life for those suffering from it (Sherman). As an estimated 2 million people in Canada over the age of one year were known to be living with diabetes in 2006-2007 and around 10% of these patients were suffering from Type 1 diabetes, Dr. Banting’s work lives on to define his legacy and his contributions to both his country and to the world as.