It was not until 1899 when a modified version named acetylsalicylic acid was registered and marketed by Bayer under the trade name aspirin.Įven though it has been available since the early 1900s, its real mode of action was not known until the late 1970s. In the 1800s, the Heyden Chemical Company was the first to mass-produce salicylic acid commercially. Henri Leroux used it to treat rheumatism after isolating it in a crystalline form in 1829.

In 1828, Professor Johann Buchner used salicin, the Latin word for willow. About 100 years later, the effects of the willow bark powder were studied for acute rheumatism. In a 1763 clinical trial, the first of its kind, Reverend Edward Stone studied the effects of willow bark powder for treating fever. He even utilized tea brewed from it for pain management during childbirth. Hippocrates used it for managing pain and fever. The Sumerians were noted to have used remedies derived from the willow tree for pain management as far back as 4000 years ago.

Salicylates have been derived from the willow tree bark.

Asperino