First Clinical Trials

Photograph of Dr. Joseph Gilchrist, [ca. 1920].

Joseph Gilchrist, one of Banting's classmates, became the first human diabetic to receive the pancreatic extract manufactured by Banting and Best. On December 21, 1921, the extract was administered orally and presented no beneficial results.

Later on, Gilchrist would try each new batch of the extract on himself after it was tested on rabbits, referring to himself as a "human rabbit."

F.G. Banting's personal account: 'The Story of the Discovery of Insulin.' Page 23D. 

In Banting's account of the discovery of insulin, he writes: "Gilchrist took the first sample of each batch and followed it with hourly or two-hourly blood sugar examinations. I doubt if there is a person in the world who has had his veins punctured so many times ... He is thus the person now living who has been on continuous insulin treatment for the longest period of time."

Gilchrist later took charge of the diabetic clinic set up at Christie Street Hospital. 

Photograph of Leonard Thompson, [1930].

Leonard Thompson (1908-1935) was the first diabetic patient to receive injections of the extract. Thompson, who was fourteen at the time, was a public ward patient in the diabetic clinic Dr. Walter Campbell had founded at Toronto General Hospital under Dr. Duncan Graham's supervision.

Thompson weighed 65 pounds on admission to the hopsital on December 2, 1921. He was pale, his hair was falling out, his abdomen was swollen, and he had the distinct smell of acetone on his breath. A report by Banting, Best, Collip, Campbell, and Fletcher titled Pancreatic Extracts in the Treatment of Diabetes Mellitus (Canadian Medical Association Journal, 1922) further states: "he was dull, talked rather slowly, [and] was quite willing to lie about all day." As Thompson's condition continued to worsen, Dr. Campbell urged his father to let him try Banting and Best's new extract. Thompson's father agreed.

In Banting's 1940 memoir he writes:

"Best and I carefully tested a batch of extract and calculated the dose for a human. We went to the hospital and remained in the corridor while a houseman injected it into the patient ... We waited around for the first specimens and could hardly contain our suppressed excitement. This was in reality the first human diabetic to be treated " (pg. 52-53). 

The extract Thompson received was described as "a murky light-brown liquid containing much sediment, which dissolved to a considerable extent on being warmed" (Macleod and Campbell, 1925).

The first injection given to Thompson on January 11 was administed by Ed Jeffrey, the house physician under the supervision of Dr. Campbell and Dr. Graham. It was not as concentrated as was needed, so other than a slightly lowered sugar excretion and a 25% fall in the blood sugar level, no clinical benefit was evident.

On January 23, Dr. Campbell gave Thompson five cc. of a new extract made by Collip. Daily injections of this extract were made from January 23rd to February 4th, with two exceptions. This resulted in immediate improvement.