This morning’s Saturday Live on Radio 4 included an interview with Sheila Thorn who is believed to be the world’s oldest surviving insulin-dependent diabetic. An inspiring story.
One small coincidence intrigued me. She was treated as a baby by Frederick Banting, who won the Nobel Prize for his pioneering work with insulin.
This is an unusual surname, & I don’t think I had heard of Frederick Banting before, but I have heard of William Banting, the corpulent Victorian cabinet maker who is generally credited with having written the first modern book describing a weight-loss (low-carb) diet, thus setting off a whole modern industry.
Given the current concern about obesity & diabetes I think that counts as a coincidence of note.
