aspirin
Chemical precursors of aspirin have been used for thousands of years; aspirin itself has been used for over 100 years by millions of people and has been marketed, alone or in combination with other drugs, under hundreds of brand names. [1]
Aspirin is used to reduce fever and relieve mild to moderate pain from conditions such as muscle aches, toothaches, common cold, and headaches. [2]
Aspirin or acetylsalicylic acid is a drug in the family of salicylates (carboxylic acid), often used as an analgesic (against minor pains and aches), antipyretic (against fever), and anti-inflammatory (against localized redness, swelling, heat, and pain). [3]
Nonprescription aspirin is used to reduce fever and to relieve mild to moderate pain from headaches, menstrual periods, arthritis, colds, toothaches, and muscle aches. [4]
Its primary use is as a pain reliever (an analgesic) for mild to moderate pain, but it is also effective in controlling fever as well as in reducing inflammation, and it is the prototypical non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug. [1]
The ester of salicylic acid and acetic acid, it inhibits production of prostaglandin s in the body. [5]
COOH, derived from salicylic acid and commonly used in tablet form to relieve pain and reduce fever and inflammation. [6]
The compound from which the active ingredient in aspirin was first derived, salicylic acid, was found in the bark of a willow tree in 1763 by Reverend Edmund Stone of Chipping-Norton, England. [5]
Aspirin is sometimes abbreviated by physicians and pharmacists as ASA, an acronym for acetylsalicylic acid (the compound’s chemical name, equivalent to 2-acetoxybenzenecarboxylic acid). [1]
If you are taking this medication for self-treatment, follow all directions on the product package. [2]
Aspirin is in a group of drugs called salicylates. [...] Stop using this medication and call your doctor at once if you have any symptoms of bleeding in your stomach or intestines. [7]
Prescription aspirin comes as an extended-release tablet (tablet that releases medication slowly over a period of time). [...] Nonprescription aspirin is also used to prevent heart attacks in people who have had a heart attack in the past or who have angina (chest pain that occurs when the heart does not get enough oxygen). [4]
In 1869 Schr?der, Prinzhorn and Kraut repeated both Gerhardt’s (from sodium salicylate) and von Gilm’s (from salicylic acid) syntheses and concluded that both reactions gave the same compound-acetylsalicylic acid. [8]
Sources:
[1] Aspirin - Medpedia
[2] Aspirin Oral - WebMD
[3] Aspirin - New World Encyclopedia
[4] Aspirin - MedlinePlus
[5] aspirin: Definition from Answers.com
[6] aspirin - definition of aspirin by the Free Online Dictionary …
[7] Aspirin - Drugs.com
[8] Aspirin