Diabetes, Insulin and the Life of RD Lawrence

In 1920 Dr RD Lawrence was an aspiring surgeon when he developed diabetes, then tantamount to a death sentence. Three years later, having been saved by insulin, he wrote The Diabetic Life which extended to 14 editions and was published in manylanguages.

This book records what came before; his strong Aberdonian background and his glittering academic career. It outlines the crashing of his hopes and evokes the drama of his turning point, the discovery of insulin, so well described as 'one of those incredible moments in medical history where a new treatment literally raises people from the dead'.

It records the powerful lessons he learned from his own sometimes painful experiences of reclaiming his life — discoveries that will grip the imagination of the reader. We learn the many ways in which he sought to communicate his understanding and success to others confronted with a diagnosis of diabetes.

Contents

A Stroke of Luck - Robert Tattersall; An Aberdeen Education - Jane Lawrence; War Experiences of the Aberdonian Clan: 1914-1916 - Jane Lawrence; All Quiet on the North West Frontier - Jane Lawrence; Pioneering the Use of Insulin and Setting up a Diabetes Service: 1923-1934 - Robert Tattersall; Marriage and Family - Jane Lawrence; New Insulins, New Challenges - Robert Tattersall; Speaking Out: Lawrence and the Diabetic Association - Judith Allsop; The 1940s - A Difficult Decade - Jane Lawrence; International Affairs - Jane Lawrence; Patients and Colleagues - Robert Tattersall and Jane Lawrence; Doctor and Scientist: Lawrence's Clinical and Scientific Publications - Peter Watkins and Alex Wright; The Later Years - Jane Lawrence;

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General Medicine

Jane Lawrence