Dr Fredrick Banting
By Illa Vij

FREDRICK Banting was a Canadian doctor and the principal discoverer of penicillin. The world — especially the diabetic — owes much to him. Once at a London gathering of the Diabetic Association, a member said: ‘‘Without Banting this meeting could have been only a gathering of ghosts bemoaning their fate.’’

Fredrick Banting was born in Alliston, Ontario. At his family’s insistence he started out to study for the Methodists’ ministry. But since he couldn’t speak fluently, he switched over to medicine. He proved to be an average student. He graduated from the university at Toronto. He served as a surgeon in the Canadian Army in World War I and won the Military Cross for bravery. He set up practice as an orthopaedist. His practice was a failure. At this juncture while he faced a decline in his career, his fiancee left him for she felt that his professional future seemed dim.

His desire to conquer diabetes — the merciless killer — became intense. He had earlier seen a diabetic girl waste into a pathetic condition and die. There had been so many cases like her, but scientists failed to discover the real cause. It was known that the pancreas, a pale yellow organ produces yellow digestive juices and was somehow involved in this disease. Banting and his friend Dr Charles Best got down to serious research work. Banting gave up his practice, sold most of his furniture, instruments, books ... whatever he could to raise money for the research. Professor John Macleod provided them with guidance and work facilities. The research work involved operating and re-operating on dogs. The pancreas was studied in detail. At times slightest of errors ruined their work of days and they would have to start all over again. Immense patience and the drive to conquer the disease made them go on. The research had begun on May 16, 1921, and by November 14, Banting and Charles gave their first paper before the Journal Club of the Department of Physiology. It was a complete report with lantern slides showing blood-sugar charts. It was yet to be confirmed whether insulin (that worked on a diabetic dog) would work in a human being. Finally, it was tested on human beings and it worked wonders!

Initially dozens, then hundreds, thousands and then millions got the insulin treatment. Honours were showered on Banting. Banting and Professor Macleod received the Nobel Prize for medicine in 1923. Banting shared his prize with his co-worker Charles Herbert Best. At the age of 30, Banting had made this remarkable discovery.

In the wintry month of February in 1941, Banting asked Charles to work again with him. Together they decided to do some more research work. Banting was now titled Major Sir Fredrick Banting. He was also working on problems of aviation medicine.

Three days later, after making the proposal to Charles, he was aboard a two-engine bomber bound for England when the plane crashed in a snow-storm, in a forest near Musgrave Harboud, Newfoundland. Banting’s lung got punctured with the crushed ribs. Even while dying, he bandaged the wounds of the pilot, who became the only survivor. Then he lay back on the pine boughs in the snow and passed away. Such determination, courage, patience and love for humanity is indeed remarkable, and what Banting did for the diabetic is even more remarkable.