Innovations and Inventions Aspirin (Also

Innovations and Inventions Aspirin Aspirin (also known as acetylsalicylic acid) is probably one of the best-know drugs of the recent century, considering that most people living in the late nineteenth, twentieth, or early twenty-first century have tried it at least once in their lifetime. Its therapeutic effects have assisted people ever since the nineteenth century and the contemporary society considers the drug one of its most important assets.

Whether taking one as a result of a headache, in order to alleviate muscle soreness, or with the purpose of avoiding a hangover, one is likely to appreciate the substance's beneficial effects. In spite of the fact that it is one of the most basic pain reliever in the history of mankind, aspirin is most likley to preceed the doctor in a situation when someone experiences pain. It would be inccorect for someone to claim that they know exactly who invented aspirin.

The drug (as it is presently known) came to be invented through a series of medical advancements and collaborations. Its history goes back to the fifth century B.C. when one of the fathers of medicine, Hippocrates, described how one could use the bark or the leaves of willow trees in order to lessen pain and fever. The bark and the leaves of willow trees were effective in treating pain because they contained a substance named salicin, one of the principal ingredients of modern-day aspirin (Cohen).

It was not until the nineteenth century that a series of chemists united in trying to extract salicin, transform it into salicylic acid, and decontaminate it in order for people to be able to consume it. French Researcher Charles Frederic Gerhardt managed to counteract some of its negative effects in 1853, but stopped before discovering aspirin in its true form.

Later on, in 1897, one of the workers at Bayer discovered Gerhardt's studies and continued to experiment until he came to combine acetylating salicylic acid with acetic acid and eventually created acetylsalicylic acid -- aspirin (Aspirin). This substance was much more effective in this form because it was mild (salicin or salicylic acid was tough on the stomachs of those who used it) and because it did not appear to have a negative effect on its users.

Even though he played an essential role in the invention of aspirin, Gerhardt never got any of the profits because he failed where others suceeded. Because he worked at Bayer, Felix Hoffman, the reputed inventor of aspirin, patented the drug and got actively engaged in marketing it to the world. Aspirin was the strong and comfortable pain reliever that a modern society was in desperate need of (Haven, 124). Considering Bayer's success in selling aspirin, one might actually consider the substance emblematic for the company's early years.

Early reactions even described the drug as being one of the greatest wonders that the medical world will ever generate. "The inspiration and drive to produce aspirin can be explained in terms of a medico-industrial relationship in which the pharmaceutical companies supplied products that interested the doctors, and the doctors, in turn, maintained an active interest in what the pharmaceutical companies had to offer" (Andermann & Cantab).

Many of Aspirin's early promoters considered the drug to be one of the first perfect substances and condemned anyone who claimed that the substance had adverse reactions. In spite of their insistencies, however, the world gradually understood Aspirin for what it was -- a remedy for pain or fever (Andermann & Cantab). As society saw more and more medical advances, Aspirin started to be used in a series of other situations that had little or nothing to do with the initial purposes for which it was created.

People understood that fever was not actually a disease and that it was a mere symptom, thus meaning that it was useless for them to try and treat fever as long as the real threat was not removed. Depending on society's trends and needs, individuals started to use Aspirin as a remedy for more and more medical conditions. It is, in point of fact, typical for a drug to be overshadowed by the interests of its promoters, the needs of its users, and its adverse effects.

It is, thus, not surprising that particular substances come to be used for purposes other than those for which they were initially intended. The world of medicine is beneficial in this situation because it assists people in trying to use substances that are actually useful for them (Wolfe & Sasich & Hope). Present day society appreciates aspirin because it is one of the best, non-narcotic, and nonprescription remedy for most kinds of pains, allergies, and inflamations.

Many doctors are likely to recommend the substance for people who feel light pain and who want to choose one of the easiest methods of getting better. While Aspirin is acknowledged as the perfect drug in certain circumstances, doctors are unable to understand its effects completely. "It apparently reduces the temperature by reducing the body's blood flow and increasing the process of perspiration. It also has an effect in the relief of pain, with a selective depressant effect on part of the brain" (Carlisle, 329).

Aspirin use has experienced serious breakdowns in the second half of the twentieth century as the pharmaceutical world presented people with several pain relievers that did not have the side effects characteristic to acetylsalicylic acid. Despite that Gerhardt and Hoffman brought serious contributions to ameliorating the effects that the substance had on people's stomachs, they were unable to fully remove its negative effects. This did not stop Aspirin from being widely commercialized.

As it was typical for the substance, people discovered new reasons for using the drug and it rapidly found another medical niche. Because Aspirin reduces the chances one has to experience blood clotting and because it is effective in maintaining blood supply to the heart and brain, it is frequently used by individuals who suffer from these conditions. Low doses of Aspirin are apparently the key to reduce the risk of heart attacks or strokes. According to recent studies, the drug is effective in numerous other situations, as it reduces.