Leonard Thompson (diabetic)

Leonard Thomson patient

Leonard Thompson (1908–1935) was the first person to receive an insulin injection as a treatment for Type 1 diabetes, marking a significant breakthrough in the history of medicine. His treatment in 1922 at the age of 14, at the Toronto General Hospital, represented a pivotal moment in the transformation of diabetes from a fatal disease to a manageable condition.

Early Life and Diagnosis

Leonard Thompson was born in 1908. At the age of 14, he was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, a condition where the pancreas produces little or no insulin, a hormone crucial for allowing glucose to enter cells to produce energy. Before the discovery of insulin, a diagnosis of Type 1 diabetes was essentially a death sentence, with a very short life expectancy following onset.

Treatment with Insulin

In January 1922, Thompson was admitted to Toronto General Hospital, where he weighed only 65 pounds (29.5 kg) and was in a severe diabetic coma, a life-threatening condition. The initial treatment involved a starvation diet, which was the only method available at the time to manage the disease, but it only offered a temporary and very partial relief.

Dr. Frederick Banting, Charles Best, and James Collip, researchers at the University of Toronto, had been working on an extract from the pancreatic islets of dogs and later cattle, which they hoped could be used to regulate blood sugar levels in humans. Leonard Thompson became the first patient to receive an injection of this pancreatic extract, which was later named insulin.

The first injection on January 11, 1922, was only partially successful due to impurities in the extract. However, after further refinement of the insulin by Collip, a second injection was administered on January 23, which proved to be a success. Thompson's blood sugar levels dropped to near-normal levels, his symptoms were alleviated, and he rapidly regained strength and appetite.

Legacy

Leonard Thompson's successful treatment with insulin was a landmark event in medical history. It not only saved his life but also paved the way for the treatment of diabetes worldwide. The discovery of insulin is considered one of the greatest medical achievements of the 20th century, transforming diabetes from a fatal disease to a manageable condition.

Leonard Thompson lived 13 more years after his initial treatment with insulin, passing away at the age of 27 from pneumonia, a common complication for people with diabetes at the time due to their weakened immune systems. His legacy, however, lives on through the millions of lives that have been saved and improved through insulin therapy.

See Also

• Frederick Banting
• Charles Best
• Insulin
• Diabetes mellitus
• History of diabetes