Outlines of Historical Development

Abstract

As far back as Egyptian times there was mention of a disease with excessive urinary output and specific plans for treatment were advanced (Ebers papyrus, 1500 BC). The name ‘diabetes’ is attributable to Demetrios of Apamaia (2nd century BC) and is derived from the Greek word diabeinein, to go to excess, used as a substantive at that time as a circle and double siphon for the passage of fluid. Other terms of antiquity were urinary diarrhea, the thirst disease and dropsy of the chamber-pot (hydrops ad matulam). The verbal distinction between diabetes inspidus and diabetes mellitus was first made in the 18th century (William Cullen and Johann Peter Frank) as well as numerous other terms for further varieties. In 1874, Adolf Kussmaul (1822–1902) used the expression ‘coma diabeticum’ for the ‘characteristic type of death in diabetics’. Etienne Lancereaux (1829–1910) distinguished a diabète gras and a diabète maigre, which called for different forms of treatment. The word ‘insulin’ was coined in 1909 by the Belgian, Jean de Meyer (1878–1934) for the hypothetical pancreatic hormone; later, Frederick Grant Banting (1891–1941) and Charles Herbert Best (1899–1978) adopted this term after having themselves initially proposed the word ‘isletin’.