Discoverer of Insulin an Influential Canadian

Essay by bmanlevacHigh School, 10th gradeA+, May 2006

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Throughout Canadian history there have been numerous individuals who have impacted Canada through their work in various disciplines. These people are considered to be great Canadians. The Oxford Canadian Dictionary defines "great" as "remarkable in ability, character and achievement".(Oxford Canadian Dictionary, 2000, p.397) Frederick Banting clearly meets all of these criteria, having demonstrated outstanding medical ability, advanced levels of achievement as well as excellent character qualities. From the many great Canadians, Frederick Banting deserves the title as the greatest Canadian who has made the biggest impact on Canadian society in the years 1900 to 1928. In those years, Frederick Banting discovered the pancreatic hormone insulin; won a Nobel Prize, helped in the creation of the first G-suit and helped established the National Research Council's Associate Committee on Medical Research.

Frederick Banting's outstanding medical ability was evident through his varied areas of expertise. He was a medical practitioner in World War I and also in London, Ontario after the war.

Later, Banting specialized in orthopaedic medicine and was the Resident Surgeon at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Ontario. He also taught orthopaedics at the University of Western Ontario in London, Ontario. He further specialized and lectured in Pharmacology at the University of Toronto where he was later awarded his M.D degree. In addition to his medical abilities, Banting was also highly skilled at writing stories, painting Canadian wilderness scenes and sketching. (Tanya Mackinnon, paragraph 4) Banting's excellent medical knowledge played an important role in the discovery of insulin because it provided vital expertise in the research of this disease and paved the way for future diabetic research in Canada. Banting's remarkable and varied medical ability is only one of the many reasons why he is considered to be the greatest Canadian.

Frederick Banting's achievements are...