Overview

Aspirin is a trade name for acetylsalicylic acid (ASA), a mild, nonnarcotic analgesic that was first marketed by the Bayer Company in 1899. Until the end of World War I, the name "Aspirin" (with a capital A) was a trademark of the German firm Bayer. Aspirin quickly became one of the most widely used drugs in the world, but disputes over the discovery of aspirin were still raging at the end of the twentieth century. Often called a miracle drug, aspirin was originally prescribed for the relief of inflammation, headaches, muscle pains, and fever. Before the introduction of antibiotics, aspirin was also used in the treatment of rheumatic fever, rheumatoid arthritis, and infections. Although aspirin generally does not modify or shorten the duration of these diseases, it does relieve some of their symptoms. One hundred years after it was first marketed, scientists continue to find new uses for...