On the 6th of March, 1899, Bayer registered Aspirin as a trademark. Aspirin, one of the most widely used drugs in history, is a pain reliever and anti-inflammatory medication that also has cardiovascular benefits. Its discovery and development were the result of both ancient medicinal knowledge and modern scientific advancements.
The active ingredient in aspirin, acetylsalicylic acid (ASA), is derived from salicylic acid, which occurs naturally in plants like willow bark and meadowsweet. The medicinal use of willow bark dates back to ancient civilizations. The Egyptians, Sumerians, and Greeks, including Hippocrates (c. 460 – 370 BCE), used willow bark to treat pain, fever, and inflammation.
During the 18th and early 19th centuries, European scientists began to study the chemical properties of willow bark. In 1828, Johann Buchner, a German chemist, isolated salicin, the active compound in willow bark. Later, Raffaele Piria, an Italian chemist, converted salicin into salicylic acid, which had medicinal effects but caused stomach irritation.
By the late 19th century, the German pharmaceutical company Bayer was looking for a way to make salicylic acid less harsh on the stomach. In 1897, Felix Hoffmann, a chemist at Bayer, successfully synthesised acetylsalicylic acid, a modified form of salicylic acid that was more tolerable. While some historians believe that Hoffmann made the discovery on his own, others credit Arthur Eichengrün, another Bayer chemist, with developing the process.
Bayer named the new drug Aspirin, combining “A” from acetyl and “spirin” from Spiraea ulmaria (meadowsweet), another plant containing salicylic acid. In 1899, Bayer began marketing aspirin as a pain reliever, anti-inflammatory, and fever reducer. It quickly gained popularity and became one of the first mass-produced pharmaceutical drugs.
Initially used for headaches, fever, and arthritis, aspirin’s potential expanded in the 20th century. In the 1970s, British pharmacologist John Vane discovered that aspirin inhibits prostaglandins, chemicals that cause pain and inflammation. He also found that aspirin prevents blood clot formation by inhibiting cyclooxygenase (COX) enzymes, which led to its use in preventing heart attacks and strokes.
Despite its benefits, aspirin has side effects, including stomach ulcers, bleeding risks, and Reye’s syndrome in children. Because of this, doctors now recommend it selectively, particularly for heart disease prevention.
Aspirin remains one of the most studied and widely used drugs in history, demonstrating how an ancient remedy evolved into a modern medical breakthrough.
With the arrival of Doctor Manuel Nuñez in Called to Account, I have had to take an interest in ancient, and not so ancient, medicine. For my work in progress my research uncovered some rather dubious “cures” for gout.