The Pharmacy In The Forest
(Page 8 of 8)
The final stop on this journey through the forest brings us
to the willow tree. This tree is one of
the original sources for what has become the most widely
used drug in the world-the aspirin tablet. For centuries
medicine men of native tribes recommended chewing the bark
of the Spirea ulmaria as an antidote for pain and fevers.
But it wasn't until the 19th century that a German chemist
discovered that its main ingredient, salicylic acid, was
indeed both an antipyretic (fever reducer) and an analgesic
(pain reliever). As a result of all this the compound
acetylsalicylic acid, or ASA to your nurse, or just plain
aspirin, has found its way to the shelves or virtually
every home medicine chest in America.
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