Good friend of our club, Dr Kenneth McHardy of Aberdeen, has published a wonderful article, “Realigning history: The Toronto Four insulin discovery team,” in the Journal of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. McHardy describes the decades of effort made to properly recognize the role Professor JJR Macleod played in the insulin discovery of 1921-23 in Toronto. Through the work of John Otto and Kimberlie Hamilton, a striking memorial statue of Macleod was created in Aberdeen’s Duthie Park. Last September 2024, the Toronto Medical Historical Club was proud to participate in a celebration marking the addition of four bronze plaques memorializing the “Toronto Four”–Frederick Banting, Charles Best, JB Collip and JJR Macleod–the collaborators who gave clinically-useful insulin to the world.
Tag: diabetes
Toronto Four Symposium & Celebration in Aberdeen
View the “Toronto Four” Symposium videos, University of Aberdeen, 6 September 2024
Club members John Dirks, Peter Kopplin, Christopher Rutty and Alison Li, along with colleagues Gary Goldberg, Erling Norrby of Stockholm and James Wright of Calgary and partners Christine Kopplin, Andrea Rutty, and Elsebeth Welander-Berggren were warmly welcomed to Aberdeen by John Otto and Kimberlie Hamilton, co-founders of the JJR Macleod Memorial Statue Society, and by our good friend Kenneth McHardy.
“Insulin: the discovery that transformed diabetic care” on BBC World Service
Alison Li joins Victor Joergens and Kersten Hall in a panel discussion hosted by Bridget Kendall of the BBC World Service – The Forum. They discuss the twists and turns in the story of the discovery and development of insulin.
Broadcasts May 26 at 5:06 and 19:06 local time and May 29 9:06 local time or visit The Forum to listen.
Free podcast/download through iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-forum/id284278990?mt=2%29
Banting Podcast for World Diabetes Day
In this special World Diabetes Day episode, created in partnership with Defining Moments Canada, Jim and Bob Banting host multiple guests to discuss the heritage and legacy of insulin after 100 years. Featured are medical historians Dr. Alison Li and Dr. Christopher Rutty, Grant Maltman, the curator of the Banting House National Historic Site, as well as Defining Moments Canada Director Jennifer Terry.
We have dedicated this episode to the memory of historian Michael Bliss whose scholarship and insights have helped to reshape our understanding of the discovery of insulin.
Please visit the Defining Moments Canada website to listen to this podcast.
A history of diabetes mellitus & insulin: illustrated with postage stamps
A presentation by Cyril Gryfe
Club member Cyril Gryfe has prepared a presentation on history of diabetes mellitus and insulin, illustrated with postage stamps from around the world.