Gifts from Canada and Alabama.
On this day in 1922 in Toronto, Canada the first insulin injection was given to a 14-year-old boy with diabetes. Before this discovery diabetics were treated with a special low carbohydrate diet, which prolonged their life by about a year.
This Square in a Square hand pieced and hand quilted simple beauty was made in the 1920’s by Ellna Lorene Harris in Guntersville, Alabama. According to her granddaughter, who inherited the quilt, Ellna was a tall woman and made the quilt very long for her comfort. From this record: “Ellna was a very good Christian woman. Had no children. Died of diabetes.” The quilt was documented in 2010 as part of the Florida Quilt Project, the newest contributor to The Quilt Index.
View this quilt on The Quilt Index to read more about it’s history, design and construction. Be sure to use the zoom tool for a detailed view.
Sources:
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/insulin-injection-aids-diabetic-patient
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_diabetes
Posted by Amy E. Milne
Executive Director, Quilt Alliance
amy.milne@quiltalliance.org