Books We Love Insider Blog: #SirFrederickBanting

Book 2 of the award-winning Twisted Climb series

I live in rural Ontario, Canada, near the town of Alliston (population approximately 20,000). The town is about 15 minutes from home and is my typical shopping destination. Alliston is well known for its potatoes (vying for Canada's top spot vs Prince Edward Island), and the enormous Honda production facility, which encompasses 45 acres and employs 4,000 people. Though it has grown by 25% since the 2011 Census, the town is still small enough to maintain that 'country charm' sought after by city dwellers.

But what Alliston is most famous for is not pototatoes or Honda vehicles. Alliston is the birth-place of the renowned scientist, physician and painter, Sir Frederick Banting.

Sir Frederick Banting, 1891 - 1941

Few people know the diverse traits of the man famous for co-discovering the insulin treatment for diabetes. Born in Alliston, Ontario in 1891, Banting was the youngest of five children. He attended public school in Alliston and later attended Victoria College, part of the University of Toronto. He enrolled in the General Arts program and, believe it or not, failed in his first year. However, despite that setback, he was accepted into the university's medical program in 1912. World War I intervened and in 1915, Banting joined the medical corps of the army. As there were insufficient doctors to support the troops, Banting's class was fast-tracked and he graduated in December 2016, reporting for military duty the very next day. Despite being wounded at the Battle of Cambrai in northern France, Banting continued to provide medical assistance to comrades for the next 16 hours. A year later, in 1919, he was awarded the Military Cross for heroism.

Military Cross of Canada

Banting returned to Canada after the war, taking up orthopedic medicine and working as resident surgeon at Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children. He moved his practice to London, Ontario and also taught orthopedics and anthropology part-time at the University of Western Ontario. It was there that his interest in diabetes unfolded. Dr. Banting had been asked to give a lecture on the pancreas, a gland organ located between the stomach and small intestine where enzymes, or digestive juices, are secreted into the small intestine. While researching reports from other medical scientists, he read that many of his colleagues believed the disease called 'diabetes' was the result of an insufficient hormone named insulin and that this hormone was secreted by the pancreas. A theory had been proposed that insulin was instrumental in regulating the body's glucose/sugar level. The lack of insulin led to an increase of sugar in the blood and these high sugar levels were found in the patient's urine. But back in 1920, when Banting was preparing his lecture, the purpose of the hormone insulin was not confirmed. Therefore, those suffering from diabetes had no protocols to contain the disease and death was almost always inevitable. The condition was more common in children and therefore referred to as Juvenile Diabetes, indicating that the body produced little or no insulin. Banting believed that by introducing insulin into the patient, it would support the non-functioning pancreas. The problem was how to find and extract the hormone. With the support of Dr. John Macleod, professor of physiology at the University of Toronto, Banting began experimenting ways to extract insulin from the pancreas of animals. His experiments were successful and he was able to produce insulin for human use. In 1922, Banting opened a private practice in Toronto and began treating diabetic patients. According to Wikipedia, Banting's first American patient was the daughter of U.S. Secretary of State, Charles Evans Hughes.

In 1923, in recognition of their life-saving work, Banting and Macleod were jointly awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology/Medicine. Banting was 32 years old and is still the youngest Nobel laureate to receive the prize in Physiology/Medicine. That same year, the government of Canada granted Banting a lifetime annuity to continue his work in the field of diabetic / insulin treatment.

Banting's artistic endeavours were also elevated during this time. He became friends with two of Canada's famous The Group of Seven artists, A.Y. Jackson and Lawren Harris. Accompanying Jackson on sketching expeditions, the two travelled to the Arctic and along the St. Lawrence River, and Banting's sketches were widely regarded as some of the best amateur art of its time.

Sir Frederick Banting (right) and Canadian artist A.Y. Jackson from The Group of Seven,
sketch on the ship S.S. Beothic along the Canadian arctic coast, 1927

A Banting canvas circa 1927 and titled “French River,”
was painted during a sketching adventure with A.Y. Jackson in Sudbury, Ontario.
Only 200 known canvasses are in existence today.
The most expensive, “Rooftops, Quebec City,” sold for $76,050 in 2008.

In recognition of his contribution to humanity, King George V awarded Banting a knighthood in 1934, bestowing upon him the official title, 'Sir.'

Sir Frederick Banting continued his medical practice and research for many years, working in Toronto and London, Ontario. However, his genius was not dedicated solely to the production of insulin. In 1938, he lead a Royal Canadian Air Force team researching the physiological problems - blackouts - that pilots encountered while flying high-altitude combat aircraft. He was also instrumental in the creation of the anti-gravity suit, or 'G-suit,' designed by Wilbur Franks, a fellow medical scientist. Together, they developed the pressurized suit that prevented pilots from 'blacking out' from g-forces exerted during turning or diving. According to The Canadian Encyclopedia, NASA's space suit is a refined version of Franks' G-suit.

Wilbur Frank, inventor of the anti-gravity, or G-suit

World War II was underway when Banting undertook a new project - the treatment of mustard gas burns. The British, the U.S., Soviets and Germans were stockpiling tons of the chemical, which was used with horrifying results in chemical warfare. It was said that Banting even tested the gas and proposed treatment on himself, to determine its effectiveness.

In February of 1941, Banting was travelling via airplane to England, departing from Gander, Newfoundland. He was going to meet with colleague Wilbur Franks, and conduct tests on the new 'flying suit' Franks had developed. Shortly after takeoff, the two engines failed and the plane crashed in Musgrave Harbour, Newfoundland. Two of the four people on board died instantly, but Banting and the American pilot, Joseph Mackey, survived the crash. Sadly though, Banting died the next day due to his injuries. He was 49 years old. (Of note, the stunt pilot later founded his own airline, Mackey Airlines. The business ceased operations in 1981.)

The birthplace of Sir Frederick Banting in Alliston, Ontario.
The Banting homestead is also called Ballyfin, due to the Banting family's Irish roots.

Sir Frederick Banting's family farm in Alliston, Ontario was bequeathed to the Ontario Historical Society (OHS) by his late nephew, in 1998. The local government offered the OHS $1 million to purchase the land, with the intention of handing over the property and buildings to the Sir Frederick Banting Legacy Foundation. The Foundation planned to erect a Camp for Diabetic Youths. However, the OHS reneged on the deal and sold the property to a housing development company for more than $2 million. Not to be outdone, the local government designated the property under the Ontario Heritage Act, preventing commercial development on the lands. Though it was strenuously objected to by the property development company, the designation was approved by the Ontario Conservation Review board and in 2007, the property was officially designated a Heritage Site. Today, the buildings house Banting's Diabetes Management and Education Centre. If you would like more information on Sir Frederick Banting, visit www.bantinglegacy.ca

The Banting cairn is a five-ton granite ball symbolizing the impact
the discovery of insulin had on the world, and stands guard at the entrance to
the Banting homestead in Alliston, Ontario.

After all these accomplishments, it is no wonder then, that Sir Frederick Banting was voted one of the top 10 Greatest Canadians of all time in a 2004 CBC poll. His legacy thrives in the lives of many. The local high school is named after him and a good number of educational awards are bestowed in his name.

Sourced from Wikipedia, The Canadian Encyclopedia, Banting Legacy, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Madhunt.com