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People who have diabetes can’t keep down the sugar levels in their blood. The problem
lies with the body chemical insulin, which should control sugar levels but doesn’t. That’s
why diabetics—people with diabetes—must receive regular injections of insulin.
SUGAR IN THE
BLOOD
Finding Insulin
In 1889, German scientists Oscar
Minkowski and Joseph von Mering
removed a dog’s pancreas for their
studies of digestion. Later they
saw flies feeding on the dog’s pee,
found it was sweet, and realized
that it is the pancreas that controls
sugar levels. In 1921, Canadian
Frederick Banting and American
Charles H. Best discovered that it
does this by making insulin.
Sweet Pees
In the Middle Ages, many
doctors knew just how to
diagnose diabetes. They
tasted the patient’s urine. If
it tasted sweet, the patient
had diabetes. But doctors
didn’t really know how to
treat the disease. Some
suggested drinking wine,
some recommended eating a
lot of sour food, and others
said riding horses would do
the trick!
