Felix Hoffmann, "father" of aspirin.
| Aspirin |
When you hear willow (salix), some of you will think about the Easter whip or some wicker products. But our ancestors had even another use. Even the antique people (Hippokrates, Plinius) knew its healing effects and therefore they used the willow´s rind, leaves and sap for the preparation of different medicaments, meinly agains the fever and pains. These medicines were prescribed for centuries with great succes only on the basis of practical experience.
First in the 19th century – in continuity of chemistry´s development – the reason of these healing effects was discovered: chemists succeeded in isolating salicin and later even the salicyl acid. And salicyl acaid is the substance which cures the fever and the pains. But it turned up, that it has got a negative effect on mucous membrane and that it can even cause burns, mainly of the stomac mucous membrane.
In 1853 French chemist Charles Frederik Gerhardt succeeded in preparing atelysalicyl acid. In laboratory conditions hee acetilated both substances mentioned above. This invention was not used in pharmacy.
Felix Hoffmann, "father" of aspirin.
The main deserts belong to a German chemist Felix Hoffman. In August 1897 – when searching for a medicin for the rheumatism of his father – he invented a new process how to make the acetylsalicyl acid. This invention allowed the acid to be produced in an industrial way and i the obtained product was clear and stable. After the clinic tests the advantages of this acid were proved. On 1st February 1899 German firm Bayer, where Hoffmann was working, introduced its new product on the market. On 6th March in the same year the firm had this medecine registered under the mark Aspirin (abreviation of Acetyl-spirsalic-acidin).
Powdered aspirin in a typical phial.
Aspirin started to conquer the world. On the beginning it was
sold in the form of a powder in charachteristic phials. But very quickly, in the year
1904, the distribution in form of the well known white tablets was started. It facilitated
easier dosage.
Just after its introduction on the markets, aspirin had a great succes and started to be called a miraculous or a universal medicine. It was used for the treatment of different illnesses – influenza, migrain, toothache, rheumatism, arthrosis. . .
In spite of some negative effects its today´s expansion and consumption all over the world is surprising. It belongs among ten most used medicines. In 1969 it even flew away to the Moon – on board of the cosmic rocket Apollo 11. It is produced in 70 countries in the world. The world´s consumption should be about 45.000 tones, which represents the unimaginable 11.000.000.000 tablets.
But who explained the mechanism of aspirin´s effects. The English doctor John Vane, laureate of the 1982 Nobel prize, was the one who gave us the explenation. And thanks to this he also won the prize.
We have already mentioned, that aspirin is a great help against fever, headache and migrain. Its use is also recommended as a prevention against cardiovascular illness and vascular cerebral incidents. According to some scientists the daily use of 75 – 325 mg a day reduces the risk of heart attack or cerebral shock by 25%. Aspirin is aslo reccomended as a prevention against intestine cancer, where it reduces the mortality (according to the studies) by 40 %.
Every year ybout 3.500 studies about aspirin use are written and researches on this field are still going on. It is evident, that with its 100 years, aspirin is still a youth.
