About the Discovery of Insulin

Photograph of F. G. Banting and C. H. Best with a dog on the roof of the Medical Building

The awarding of the Nobel Prize in Medicine to Frederick Banting and J.J.R. Macleod in 1923 formally recognized the tremendous achievement of the Toronto team in discovering and developing insulin, a substance that continues to alleviate the suffering and prevent the death of many millions of diabetics throughout the world.

This site documents the initial period of the discovery and development of insulin, 1920-1925, here at the University of Toronto. It presents over seven thousand page images reproducing original documents ranging from laboratory notebooks and charts, correspondence, writings, and published papers to photographs, awards, clippings, scrapbooks, printed ephemera and artifacts. Drawing mainly on the Banting, Best and related collections housed at the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library and the Archives and Records Management Services at the University of Toronto, it also includes significant holdings from the Aventis Pasteur (formerly Connaught) Archives, and the personal collection of Dr. Henry Best. More

Browse by Collection

Academy

Academy of Medicine Collection

Best (Charles Herbert) Papers

Best (Charles Herbert) Papers

Collip (James Bertram) Papers

Collip (James Bertram) Papers

F. G. Banting (Frederick Grant, Sir) Papers

F. G. Banting (Frederick Grant, Sir) Papers

Feasby (William R.) Papers

Feasby (William R.) Papers

Gerstein Science Information Centre selected items

Gerstein Science Information Centre

Hughes (Elizabeth) Papers

Hughes (Elizabeth) Papers

Sanofi Pasteur Limited (formerly Connaught)

Sanofi Pasteur Limited (formerly Connaught)

University of Toronto. Board of Governors. Insulin Committee

University of Toronto. Board of Governors. Insulin Committee

University of Toronto. Office of the President

University of Toronto. Office of the President