Aspirin A Brief History

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commercially synthesized form of a naturally occurring compound whose uses can be traced back 2,000 years. The compound, called salicin, is found in the white willow tree. Around 200 B.C., Hippocrates, the Greek physician, discovered that chewing on willow bark could relieve pain and fever.

Although ASA was a proven pain reliever, no one really knew how it worked until more than 70 years after Hoffmann's discovery. In 1971, British pharmacologist John Vane discovered that the anti-inflammatory properties of ASA result from its ability to inhibit the body's production of certain chemical mediators (prostaglandins) that promote inflammation and, therefore, cause pain. Vane received the Nobel Prize for Medicine in 1982 for this medical research breakthrough.

Bayer and aspirin

Bayer trademarked "Aspirin" in Germany on March 6, 1899. The name comes from "a" for "acetyl" and "spir" from "spirea," a plant offering a natural source of salicin. The drug was released onto the market ...

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