[Historical review of Antidiabetic Drugs' discovery].

Early in the ancient Egyptian period 3, 500 years ago, people began to record the symptoms of diuresis related to Diabetes Mellitus. Thereafter, the cognition of Diabetes Mellitus in people evolved several times, that is: from simple symptom-recording to realizing that the essential pathogenesis is the kidney, and then recognizing that the root cause is the pancreas; from the cognition of islet cells to the separation and purification of insulin; from recognizing that sulfonamides have a hyperglycemic action to the appearance of dimethyldiguanide and the improvement of the method of Insulin's injection method. Reviewing this historical process can benefit a better realization and prevention and cure of Diabetes Mellitus.