Charles best insulin biography of michaels

Charles Best (medical scientist)

Canadian co-discoverer of insulin (–)

For other people named Charles Best, see Charles Best (disambiguation).

Charles Herbert Best (February 27, – March 31, ), was an American-Canadian medical scientist and one of the co-discoverers of insulin with Frederick Banting.

He served as the chair of the Banting and Best Department of Medical Research at the University of Toronto and was further involved in research concerning choline and heparin.

Early life

Charles Herbert Best was born in Pembroke, Maine, on February 27, , to Luella (Lulu) Fisher[1] and Herbert Huestis Best,[2] a Canadian-born physician from Nova Scotia.[3] His father, Herbert Best, was a doctor in a small Maine town with a limited economy based mostly on sardine-packing.[3] His mother Lulu was a soprano singer, organist, and pianist.

Charles Best grew up in Pembroke before going to Toronto, Ontario, to study medicine in [3]

By the time Best had reached college age and was choosing between such schools as McGill University and the University of Toronto, family connections persuaded him to pursue his studies in Toronto. Family illness had guided Best's research interests—his Aunt Anna dying of diabetes had profound effects on him.[3] It was for this reason, and the fact that his father was a physician, that he chose to study at University of Toronto and train to become a doctor.[3] His university studies were interrupted following his first year by the onset of the First World War.[4] He served as an infantry soldier, reaching the rank of acting Sergeant Major.[3] Following his service, he eventually returned to university in Toronto, but was falling behind in his classes.

Co-discovery of insulin

Best moved in to Toronto, Ontario, where he started studying towards a bachelor of arts degree at University College, University of Toronto. In , he enlisted in the Canadian Army serving with the 2nd Canadian Tank Battalion.

Charles best insulin biography of michaels company The extract lowered blood sugar but had little clinical effect. B taken at Stafford Hotel on the day C. He and Banting started their work on the extraction of pancreatic tissue and the treatment of depancreatized dogs. The Charles Herbert Best papers ms coll.

After the war, he completed his degree in physiology and biochemistry.[5]

As a year-old medical student at the University of Toronto he worked as an assistant to the surgeon Dr. Frederick Banting[6] and contributed to the discovery of the pancreatic hormone insulin, which led to an effective treatment for diabetes.

In the spring of , Banting travelled to Toronto to visit John Macleod, professor of physiology at the University of Toronto, and asked Macleod if he could use his laboratory to isolate pancreatic extracts from dogs. Macleod was initially sceptical, but eventually agreed before leaving on holiday for the summer.

Before leaving for Scotland he supplied Banting with ten dogs for experiment and two medical students, Charles Best and Edward Clark Noble, as lab assistants.

It was reported that Best and Noble flipped a coin to see who would assist Banting during the first period of four weeks.[7] According to Best, however, this was the product of a journalist’s imagination, or "newspaper fiction".[9] Nonetheless, Frederick Banting is known to have mentioned this story when discussing the discovery of insulin.[10]

MacLeod was overseeing the work of Banting, who had no experience in physiology, and his assistant Best.

In December , when Banting and Best were having difficulties in refining the pancreatic extract and monitoring glucose levels, MacLeod assigned the biochemist James Collip to the team. In January , while Collip was working on insulin purification, Best and Banting administered prematurely their pancreatic extracts to year-old Leonard Thompson, who suffered a severe allergic reaction.

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    • Eventually, Collip succeeded in preparing insulin in a more pure, usable form. Banting, Best and Collip shared the patent for insulin, which they sold to the University of Toronto for one dollar.

    In , the Nobel Prize Committee honoured Banting and John Macleod with the Nobel Prize in Medicine for the discovery of insulin, ignoring Best and Collip.

    Banting chose to share half of the prize money with Best.

    Charles best insulin biography of michaels series: After graduating from high school in , Best moved to Toronto, briefly attending Harbord Collegiate and then commencing his B. Anxious to crush any idea that his fame had been shaped by good luck, Best denied that he and Noble had flipped a coin to see who would work with Banting first. Macleod himself had recommended Best for the job. Archived from the original PDF on 3 September

    The key contribution by Collip was recognised in the Nobel speech of MacLeod, who also gave one-half of his prize money to Collip. However, "if Banting was hoping that this might offer Best some consolation for not having shared in the prize, he was mistaken. Best’s resentment at having been overlooked began to irritate Banting", to the point that Banting stated in "If I don’t come back and they give my [Professorial] Chair to that son-of-a-bitch Best, I’ll never rest in my grave", shortly before Banting boarded a plane for the UK which crashed and killed him.

    After Banting's death, Best "claimed that the crucial innovation of using alcohol to remove toxic impurities had largely been his own", even though this had actually been Collip's key contribution.[11] In , an official history of the Nobel Committee declared that omitting Best might have been a mistake.[12] In fact, Best was not considered because he was never nominated.

    Nomination for a Nobel Prize can only be made by certain individuals, including former recipients of the Prize, and his central role along with Banting was not known to those who had the ability to make nominations.

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    • Best was subsequently nominated for the Nobel Prize in physiology based on his work on choline and heparin.

    Professor of physiology

    Best succeeded Macleod as professor of physiology at University of Toronto in [15] During World War II he was influential in establishing a Canadian program for securing and using dried human blood serum.

    In his later years, he was an adviser to the Medical Research Committee of the United NationsWorld Health Organization

    Personal life

    Best later claimed that the greatest moment of his life occurred when he met his future wife, Margaret Mahon (–) following his return.[3] Best married Margaret Hooper Mahon in Toronto in and they had two sons.

    One son, Henry Best was a well-regarded historian who later became president of Laurentian University in Sudbury, Ontario. Best's other son was Charles Alexander Best, a Canadian politician and geneticist. Best is the grandfather of Susan MacTavish Best.[16]

    Best died on March 31, , in Toronto.[17] He is interred in Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Toronto, not far from Sir Frederick Banting.

    Awards and honours

    Best was elected a foreign member of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences in [18] He was elected a foreign honorary member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in [19] He was elected to both the American Philosophical Society and the United States National Academy of Sciences in [20][21] In he was made a Companion of the Order of Canada in recognition for "his contribution to medicine, particularly as co-discoverer of insulin."[22] He was a commander of the Civil Division of the Order of the British Empire[5] and was made a member of Order of the Companions of Honour in "for services to Medical Research".[23] He was a fellow of the Royal Society of London, the Royal Society of Canada, and was the first Canadian to be elected into the Pontifical Academy of Sciences.[5]

    As a recipient of the Order of Canada, he was awarded the Canadian version of the Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal in

    In he was inducted into the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame.

    Charles best insulin biography of michaels lee Banting was clearly the senior partner, however, both in organizing experiments and in dealing with the director of the lab, Macleod. Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences. Toggle the table of contents. Best and F.

    In , he was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame.

    Dr. Charles Best Secondary School in Coquitlam, British Columbia, Dr. Charles Best Public School in Burlington, Ontario, and Charles H. Best Middle School in Toronto, Ontario, are named in his honour. His birthplace in Maine is listed on the United States National Register of Historic Places.

    Honorary degrees

    Dr. Charles Best received 18[24]honorary degrees from universities around the world including

    See also

    References

    1. ^“Lulu Best”
    2. ^“Herbert Best”
    3. ^ abcdefgBest, Henry B.

      M. (June ). Margaret and Charley: The Personal Story of Dr. Charles Best, the Co-Discoverer of Insulin. Dundurn. ISBN&#;.

    4. ^Young, F.; Hales, C. N. ().

      Charles best insulin biography of michaels Charles Best, the co-discoverer of insulin Toronto and Oxford, Eng. Noble and Best agreed that there was no point in Noble taking over in the middle of the project. James B. Macleod offered Best and Noble the opportunity to spend part of their summer working with Dr.

      "Charles Herbert Best. 27 February March ". Biographical Memoirs of Fellows of the Royal Society. 28: 1– doi/rsbm JSTOR&#;

    5. ^ abc"Charles Herbert Best". University of Toronto. Archived from the original on 11 March
    6. ^Best, C.

      H. (1 November ). "Frederick Grant Banting. –". Obituary Notices of Fellows of the Royal Society. 4 (11): 20– doi/rsbm S2CID&#;

    7. ^Wright, J. R. (December ). "Almost famous: E. Clark Noble, the common thread in the discovery of insulin and vinblastine". CMAJ. (12): –6. PMC&#; PMID&#;
    8. ^Rosenfeld, Louis (1 December ).

      "Insulin: Discovery and Controversy". Clinical Chemistry. 48 (12): – doi/clinchem/ ISSN&#; PMID&#;

    9. ^Banting, Frederick (11 October ). "The Early Story of Insulin"(PDF). University of Toronto.

      Charles best insulin biography of michaels and associates This project led to the discovery of insulin later that summer. Best did all the chemical tests for Banting, measuring blood, urinary sugars, and urinary nitrogen in the series of experiments on depancreatized, ductligated, and normal dogs. The extract was not effective enough to justify further administration. Almost as important are the William R.

      p.&#;2. Archived(PDF) from the original on 1 June Retrieved 8 March

    10. ^"The discovery of insulin: A story of monstrous egos and toxic rivalries". 11 January
    11. ^Rosenfeld, Louis (). "Insulin: Discovery and Controversy". Clinical Chemistry. 48 (12): – doi/clinchem/ PMID&#;
    12. ^"Charles Best".

      Retrieved 7 September

    13. ^"How to Host the Ultimate Lavish Holiday Party". Sunset. Retrieved 23 February
    14. ^"Dr. Charles H. Best. A Pioneer In Insulin". The New York Times. United Press International. 1 April
    15. ^"C. H. Best (–)".

      Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences. Retrieved 22 May

    16. ^"Book of Members, – Chapter B"(PDF). American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Retrieved 24 June
    17. ^"APS Member History". . Retrieved 22 February
    18. ^"Charles Best". . Retrieved 22 February
    19. ^Office of the Governor General of Canada.

      Order of Canada citation. Queen's Printer for Canada. Retrieved 24 May

    20. ^"Supplement to the London Gazette". London Gazette. 12 June Archived from the original on 4 February
    21. ^"Banting and Best Department of Medical Research Chair". Archived from the original on 11 March Retrieved 11 March
    22. ^"Honorary Degrees &#; Convocation &#; the University of Chicago".

      Archived from the original on 18 May Retrieved 27 May

    23. ^"Honorary doctorates - University of Amsterdam". Archived from the original on 29 October Retrieved 10 June
    24. ^"University Secretar's Department&#;: University Calendar - Honoris Causa Degrees&#;: The University of Melbourne".

      Archived from the original on 5 December Retrieved 27 January

    25. ^"Honorary Graduates of the University of Edinburgh". Archived from the original on 27 May Retrieved 27 May
    26. ^"Honorary Degree Recipients: Office of the Provost - Northwestern University".

      Archived from the original on 11 April Retrieved 27 May

    27. ^"Honorary Doctorates - the Hebrew University of Jerusalem".
    28. ^"University of Toronto Honorary Degree Recipients "(PDF). University of Toronto. Archived from the original(PDF) on 3 September Retrieved 10 April

    Further reading

    • Henry B.

      M. Best (). Margaret and Charley: The Personal Story of Dr. Charles Best, the Co-Discoverer of Insulin. Dundurn Press Ltd. ISBN&#;.

    • John Waller () Fabulous Science: fact and fiction in the history of scientific discovery, Oxford. See Chapter "Painting yourself into a corner; Charles Best and the discovery of insulin", page

    External links