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Diabetes first described
The condition is described by Arataeus of Cappadocia -
Sweet smell of diabetic urine documented
Thomas Willis, an Oxford physician, discovered this -
First attempt at treatment
John Rollo treats a patient through dietary restriction. -
Death of Claude Bernard
Claude Bernard discovered that the liver stored glycogen and that it secreted a sugary substance into blood. Bernard theorized that this substance caused diabetes. -
Von Mering disproves Bernard's theory
Von Mering found that the removal of the pancreas caused diabetes. He and his partner attempted to extract an antidiabetic substance from the pancreas. -
Frederick Banting discovers insulin
Banting, an orthopedic surgeon, worked together with J.J.R. Macloud, Charles Best, and J.B. Collip to extract a substance from an atrophied dog pancreas that kept a diabetic dog alive. -
First human patient receives insulin
A 14-year-old boy receives the newly discovered insulin. Unfortunately, it failed. -
Purified injections now available
These worked, unlike the original formula. -
Insulin now produced commercially
Most western countries have reliable access to insulin. -
Insulin crystallized
It was crystallized by J.J. Abel. Insulin has two chains of 51 amino acids. He received the Nobel Prize for his efforts. -
Insulin improved
Protamine zinc insulin was created to replace the earlier, less reliable form. -
Insulin improved... again
Lente insulin is synthesized simply as a better form of insulin. -
Immunoassay improves research
This improvement allowed minute concentrations of insulin to be measured, paving the way for future advancements. -
Three-dimensional structure of insulin discovered
Dorothy Hodgin won the Nobel Prize for her discovery.