The Discovery of Insulin

This edition of this pioneering work of research includes a new introduction by the author, as well as a new introduction that places the book in its historical context. When insulin was discovered in the early 1920s, even the most seasoned specialists were amazed by its ability to save starving diabetics, some of whom had fallen into a coma, from death. Contrary to expectations, the Nobel Prize in Medicine or Physiology was awarded in 1923 in recognition of this discovery. To tell the remarkable story behind the discovery of insulin, Michael Bliss in this classic work relies on archival records and personal interviews with eyewitnesses to those events. It reveals scientists' memoirs and secret Nobel committee members' evaluations of insulin, reviving science and resolving a long-standing debate about scientific collaboration at its most complex and interesting stage: Who, among the members of the Canadian team, Frederick Banting, Charles Best, James Collip, and John Macleod, ultimately deserves credit for discovering insulin? Or does the credit go further back, to George Zulzer in Berlin, E. L. Scott in Chicago, Israel Kleiner in New York, Nicolas Paulescu in Bucharest, and John Morlin in Rochester? Place's saga, which revolves around his life and death, highlights one of the most important achievements in the history of medicine. With a new introduction by the author and an introduction by historian Alison Lee, this expanded edition celebrates the lasting impact of the discovery of insulin and its continuing importance.