I am a fat boy now

Below we have two messages from the 1920s, both sent to the same man - Frederick Banting - as a result of his enormous contribution to a scientific development which to this day continues to save the lives of many. That development was the discovery and isolation of insulin. The first is a letter of thanks from one of the first batch of diabetic patients; a grateful young boy named Teddy Ryder who, due to the groundbreaking treatment, lived to the age of 76. That same year - 1923 - Frederick Banting and J. J. R. Macleod were jointly awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine for their efforts. They were notified by way of the telegram also seen below.

Both documents are part of the fascinating Discovery of Insulin Collection at the University of Toronto Library.

Transcripts follow.

Source

Source

Transcripts

Letter

DEAR DR. BANTING,

I WISH YOU COULD COME TO SEE ME. I AM A FAT BOY NOW AND I FEEL FINE. I CAN CLIMB A TREE. MARGARET WOULD LIKE TO SEE YOU.

LOTS OF LOVE FROM

TEDDY RYDER

Telegram

CANADIAN PACIFIC RAILWAY COMPANY'S TELEGRAPH
TELEGRAM
CABLE CONNECTIONS TO ALL THE WORLD
J. McMILLAN, General Manager of Telegraphs, Montreal.

187AXJW-38 VIA HX OCT 25TH
STOCKHOLM

DOCTOR FREDERICK G BANTING
INSTITUTE OF PHYSIOLOGY
TORONTO CANADA

THE THE ROYAL CAROLINE INSTITUTE HAS PRESENTED TO YOU TOGETHER WITH PROFESSOR W J R MACLEOD THE NOBEL PRIZE OF THE YEAR 1923.

YOURS SINCERELY HJALMAR FORSSNER PRINCIPAL OF THE INSITTUTE

1030PM