Aspirin is the colloquial name for acetylsalicylic acid. Today this drug is included in the list of essential medicines of the World Health Organization (WHO) and in the list of vital and essential medicines in Russia.
But in the pre-aspirin era, most diseases had no treatment and were often referred to in one word - “fever”, and only not always effective and far from fast-acting herbal decoctions and expensive opiates could alleviate suffering and relieve pain.
What is aspirin?
Aspirin is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), meaning it does not contain steroids, which often cause a variety of side effects in people but still provide good results.
Aspirin is used for mild pain, mild to moderate inflammation, and increased body temperature. This drug is not a narcotic and is not addictive.
Interesting facts about aspirin
Among medical synthetic drugs, there is no drug more famous and in demand than aspirin. Everyone knows this drug and has used it at least once in their life. The emergence of hundreds of new drugs has not changed the fact that aspirin is a popular medicine and is sold in every pharmacy.
This wonderful medicine, which has many indications for use, was first invented in the laboratories of Leverkusen in 1897 in Wuppertal. Which of the laboratory chemists was the first to receive aspirin remains unknown: the workers argued with each other for half a century, but did not clarify this issue until their death. Arthur Eichengrün died 3 years later than his colleague Felix Hoffmann. Therefore, historical sources call Arthur the inventor of aspirin.
But many sources indicate that Hoffmann invented aspirin. But Bayer did not want to glorify Eichengrün. The scientist was planning to leave the company, which he subsequently did, so they did not want to give him the title of inventor. And after the Nazis came to power, glorifying the Jew Eichengrün was out of the question.
Both scientists contributed to the creation of the drug, and therefore deserve worldwide recognition.
Who invented aspirin?
Salicylate in the form of willow bark has been used for over 2000 years. Even now, people who do not take pills on principle get rid of headaches by simply brewing the dried bark.
Aspirin in its current form has been around for over 100 years. The mention that willow bark has medicinal properties can be found in the records of Hippocrates.
But in the form in which we are accustomed to seeing aspirin, Felix Hoffman invented it on August 10, 1897. He managed to bring salicylic acid into a stable form so that it could be worked with.
Hoffman probably achieved such success because his father suffered greatly from rheumatism, and this disease causes terrible pain. This chemist worked in the laboratories of Bayer, so they were the first to register such a trademark as Aspirin. By the way, then this name became a household name and you can read an interesting article about it.
Stories and destinies
Until the 1930s, it was believed that great medicine was the fruit of the collective work of “Bayer specialists.” But historical justice is that Felix Hoffmann’s discovery was based on the work of predecessor scientists - the Frenchman Charles Gerhardt and the Englishman Alder Wright . After the triumphant discovery of aspirin, Hoffman worked for Bayer all his life. The fate of his boss Heinrich Dreser was sadder.
Article on the topic
What not to take with a pill While working on the process of converting salicylic acid into acetylsalicylic acid, Hoffmann conducts experiments on the acylation of morphine, resulting in medicinal heroin. It was intended to be used as a strong pain reliever, but the side effects of heroin use became immediately apparent. Despite this, it was Heinrich Dreser who became the first official heroin addict, popularizer of the new drug and its first victim: he died of cardiac arrest in 1924.
Arthur Eichengrün went to a concentration camp in 1944, and 5 years later, before his death, he published an article dedicated to the 50th anniversary of aspirin, in which he attributed the invention of aspirin to himself. The debate about who exactly was the real inventor of aspirin did not subside for a long time after the publication of this article.
Benefits of aspirin
As I wrote above, people most often take aspirin when they feel mild stomach pain or have a fever. It is used to treat colds and FLU, muscle pain in non-professional athletes.
Usually, if you just have a fever, then you take an aspirin tablet and that’s it, but if it’s something serious, then the doctor prescribes it in a complex treatment or stronger drugs, but they will still contain aspirin.
It is used to treat rheumatoid arthritis and fever, inflammation of the joints both in young people and in the elderly.
It has also proven effective in preventing blood clots and angina. But there may also be a risk of bleeding, so in such cases you can take the pills only under the supervision of a doctor. According to a study, heart disease patients who took aspirin had decreased platelet activity, which reduced the risk of heart attack and stroke.
Researchers note that people who regularly take aspirin have a lower risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, the main form of dementia. Aspirin is thought to be protective due to its anti-clotting mechanism and its ability to affect blood flow to the brain.
Aspirin has significant ability to inhibit the growth of cancer cells. The drug inhibits the growth of cancer cells, including colon, pancreas, lung, prostate, breast and leukemia. A recent study by the National Cancer Institute found that women who take aspirin daily can reduce their risk of developing ovarian cancer by 20 percent.
From fever and pain, for the heart and for children
Initially, only the antipyretic effect of aspirin was known, but later its analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties were discovered. After World War II, Californian physician Lawrence Craven experimentally discovered that aspirin significantly reduced the risk of heart disease. Today, most aspirin is used for precisely this purpose - to prevent cardiovascular diseases.
Article on the topic
Pharmacy of the last century. Why are we treated with useless pills? In 1952, a gentle concentration of baby aspirin was introduced, and in 1969, aspirin tablets were included in the first aid kits of the Apollo astronauts.
Research activity around the properties of aspirin continues to this day. Thus, according to research by Professor Peter Rothwell from the University of Oxford, regular intake of acetylsalicylic acid reduces the 20-year risk of developing prostate cancer by 10%, lung cancer by 30%, intestinal cancer by 40%, and cancer of the esophagus and throat by 60%. .
According to researchers from the University of Alabama (USA) and the University of Ottawa (Canada), aspirin also reduces the risk of developing liver cancer. Those subjects who took aspirin for 10 years were less likely to suffer from hepatocellular carcinoma and were 45% less likely to die from chronic liver disease.
Scientists from the University of Western Australia in Perth say aspirin helps older people fight depression. And Dutch specialists from the Institute of Neuroscience and the Academic Medical Center have found that taking aspirin daily to prevent heart disease is fraught with vision loss for older people. The risk is doubled compared to those who do not take aspirin. But the benefits of aspirin in preventing heart disease are considered more significant than the harm it causes to the eyes.
What is aspirin used for?
- This drug is used for a variety of purposes. I will talk about several of them, in addition to the main one:
- Removing sweat stains. Crush two aspirins and mix the powder with 1/2 cup warm water. Soak the contaminated part of the clothing in the solution for two to three hours.
- Getting rid of acne. Crush one aspirin and moisten it with a little water. Apply the paste to the pimple and leave for a couple of minutes before washing off with soap and water. This will reduce redness and soothe irritation.
- Getting rid of hard calluses. You can soften hard calluses on your feet by grinding five or six tablets into powder. Make a paste by adding 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice and water. Apply the mixture to the affected areas, then wrap your leg in a warm towel and cover it with a plastic bag. Leave the mixture on your feet for at least ten minutes and then scrub them with a heel brush.
- To get rid of insect bites. A very effective remedy against mosquito or bee bites. The principle of application is the same, make a paste from the tablets by mixing them with water and apply to the bite. The pain and burning should stop, but it is best to see a doctor because some people have a severe allergic reaction to bee or insect stings.
- Aspirin for flowers. Do you know how many aspirin tablets you need to put in flowers to make them last longer than usual? Approximately 2 tablets per 1 liter of water, just throw them into a vase and cut flowers will last a couple of days longer than in regular water.
- Masks with aspirin. Girls often make masks with aspirin added to reduce redness from acne and whiten the skin a little.
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Instructions for use
Today, aspirin is used as an antipyretic and analgesic, as a means of preventing heart attacks and thrombosis, in the complex treatment of certain diseases, for example in gynecology. Aspirin is widely used to combat hangover symptoms. Safe daily dose of aspirin: 4 g per day. You can take the drug only after meals and wash it down with enough water.
But aspirin should never be used uncontrolled and without a doctor’s prescription. An overdose leads to severe pathologies of the kidneys, brain, lungs and liver; the first symptoms of an overdose are sweating, tinnitus and hearing loss, swelling, skin and other allergic reactions. Taking aspirin daily can cause gastrointestinal or even cerebral bleeding.
The emergence of aspirin
The analgesic properties of salicylic acid, the main active ingredient of the drug, were known. In 1853, French scientist Charles Gerard synthesized salicin from willow bark. This drug was unsuitable for medical use, but scientists were interested in it.
If you go deeper into history, the healing properties of willow bark were discovered in the 18th century. In 1763, Englishman Edward Stone began using a decoction of willow bark as a means to reduce body temperature. The discovery became the basis for the research of European scientists.
In 1874, salicylic acid began to be produced as a medical drug. But the medicine had two significant drawbacks:
- disgusting taste
- harm to the stomach.
This made its use impossible. Therefore, the production of aspirin is considered a truly outstanding achievement in medicine. Through some chemical changes in the drug, German chemists managed to get rid of the problems in the new medicine while maintaining the beneficial properties.
Clinical studies of the new drug lasted 2 years. In 1899, Bayer released a new drug, Aspirin, under its official brand name. The literal translation of the name of the medicine is “rich in salicin.” It was impossible to patent an invention in those days, but it was still possible to register a trademark.
The first batches of aspirin were produced in powder form. The usual tablets appeared in 1904. At first, the drug was sold exclusively by prescription. Since 1915 it has become an over-the-counter drug available to everyone.
Aspirin began to be sold more than other drugs. produced 50,000 kilograms of the drug annually. It turned out to be cheap, had minimal side effects, and was great for pain and fever.
Aspirin has long been prescribed by doctors as a pain reliever. But gradually new indications appeared for the medicine, without the participation of the inventors. Today, more than three thousand scientific articles are published a year on the topic of aspirin use.
Properties of aspirin
The drug was invented as a pain reliever. But over time, scientists discovered new properties, and the list of indications for aspirin expanded.
An interesting discovery was the ability of acetylsalicylic acid to thin the blood. The accidental discovery became a real salvation for cardiac patients.
In the middle of the last century, American doctor Lawrence Craven actively prescribed chewing gum with acetylsalicylic acid to patients after tonsil removal to reduce pain. The doctor noticed that such patients often develop bleeding. This led to the idea that aspirin thins the blood and prevents the formation of blood clots.
Craven decided that the effect of the drug could be used to prevent heart attacks and strokes, and wrote a scientific article. But the grand discovery was not noticed. Only at the end of the last century, the property of the drug discovered by Craven was appreciated and introduced into medical practice.
