Recreating the world's first test for diabetes

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This video is a special one and I made it specifically for World Diabetes Day, which happens every year on November 14. Diabetes was originally diagnosed by tasting the urine of patients. In diabetics, the blood-sugar level is often extremely high and some of it spills over into the urine. So, if the urine tasted sweet, the person was likely diabetic.

This was the main way to test for diabetes for a long time, until there was a breakthrough in 1841 by Karl Trommer. From there, the technology was continually improved and today we have blood glucose meters. I think that this technological journey is extremely interesting, and I hope that you guys agree with me after watching the video.

What I also think is cool, is that many of the breakthroughs along the way are still useful today for other applications. The Fehling's and Benedict solutions are still routinely used in analytical chemistry, and the test strips are also useful.

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Nile talks about lab safety:    • Chemistry is dangerous.  

Music in credits (Walker by SORRYSINES):   / walker