Acetylsalicylic Acid. First derived from the leaves of the willow tree, Hippocrates described its use and left a recipe for what must have been a cure all for the Bacchanalean soirees of Ancient Greece. Bayer developed a synthetic form of it in 1897, and we've been using it to reduce fevers, and help along our various aches and pains ever since. As part of war reparations in the Treaty of Versailles after WWI, Germany gave up its trademark to aspirin in the US, the UK, France, and the Soviet Union, where it is referred to generically as 'aspirin' with a lower case 'a'. In more than 80 countries around the world, including Canada, it is 'Aspirin' because Bayer still holds the rights to it in those countries. Long live the magical properties of aspirin!
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