Starting to Develop a Treatment

Much of this summary is based on information at:

http://www.med.uottawa.ca/medweb/hetenyi/rakobowchuk.htm

Following Minkowski, there was speculation that the internal secretion of the pancreas related to the metabolism of carbohydrates. In 1901 Eugene Opie established the relationship between this internal secretion and the islets of Langerhans. When he examined microscope sections of the pancreases of diabetic patients which had been removed during autopsy, Opie discovered atrophy and irregularities specifically in the islet cells and not in the other cells. This furthered the theory that an internal secretion from the pancreas was responsible for the regulation of blood sugar levels.

Even before this discovery, the search was on to isolate the products of an internal pancreatic secretion. From 1892 to 1921 as many as fourteen researchers are thought to have made attempts at isolating this internal secretion.  The most persistent of these physiologists and clinicians was Georg Ludwig Zuelzer. From the early part of 1903 and for twelve years after, Zuelzer made attempt after attempt to treat diabetes with a pancreatic extract. At one point late in his attempts, he used his extract on eight willing subjects. He may even have isolated the products of the internal secretion of the pancreas, but he seems to have misinterpreted the signs and symptoms of hypoglycemia as toxic side effects of his extract.  Had he been able to measure the blood sugar levels of his patients he might have realized what was happening.  The historian Michael Bliss says that “Zuelzer was never encouraged to pursue his work, apparently because he was Jewish and lacked social status.”