In 1889, a physician noticed a sweet urine clue and helped point medicine toward insulin

In a groundbreaking moment in 1889, two German scientists, Joseph von Mering and Oskar Minkowski, uncovered a crucial link between the pancreas and diabetes through an unexpected laboratory observation. After removing a dog's pancreas, they discovered sugar in its urine, prompting a pivotal shift from merely addressing symptoms of the disease to understanding the pancreas's fundamental role.