[3] While Ruth is outside studying Spelling Dictation[4]), Dr. Banting, a doctor in search for a cure for diabetes, comes over and invites her to tea.

However, Ruth is horrified when she discovers that Dr. Banting and his assistant Dr. Best are testing treatments on dogs.

When she meets Dr. Banting, she discovers that they are testing the treatment on a dog already in a diabetic coma.

Quill and Quire reviewed the work and wrote "Elixir's earnestness makes for a sweet but pedantic story better suited to educational purposes than a popular readership.

In exploring the more controversial aspects of Banting’s research, Walters has humanized the man, but Ruth remains a one-dimensional character, less interesting than the history for which she’s a foil.