Aspirin was developed by 1897 by the German Chemist Felix Hoffmann to relieve his father's rheumatism. It came from salicylic acid, originally obtained from willow-tree bark but later made by chemical synthesis.
In 1899 it was synthesised for commercial use by Hoffmann's employers, the Bayer chemical company. At present about 27 tons of aspirin are swallowed in the USA each day for headaches and colds.
It is best known for its pain-killing properties, but it also reduces fever and imflammation and is of value in the treatment of rheumatic diseases.
