Changes

''[[Salix schwerinii]]''<br/>

''[[Salix schwerinii]]''<br/>

''[[Salix scouleriana]]'' - [[Scouler's Willow]]<br/>

''[[Salix scouleriana]]'' - [[Scouler's Willow]]<br/>

''[[Salix sericea]]'' - [[Sil

''[[Salix sericea]]'' - [[Silky Willow]]<br/>

ky Willow]]<br/>

''[[Salix serissaefolia]]''<br/>

''[[Salix serissaefolia]]''<br/>

''[[Salix serissima]]'' - [[Autumn Willow]]<br/>

''[[Salix serissima]]'' - [[Autumn Willow]]<br/>

The bark of the willow tree has been mentioned in ancient texts from [[Assyria]], [[Sumer]] and [[Ancient Egypt|Egypt]] as a remedy for aches and [[fever]], and the [[Ancient Greece|Greek]] physician [[Hippocrates]] wrote about its medicinal properties in the [[5th century BC]]. [[Indigenous peoples of the Americas|Native Americans]] across the American continent relied on it as a staple of their medical treatments.

The bark of the willow tree has been mentioned in ancient texts from [[Assyria]], [[Sumer]] and [[Ancient Egypt|Egypt]] as a remedy for aches and [[fever]], and the [[Ancient Greece|Greek]] physician [[Hippocrates]] wrote about its medicinal properties in the [[5th century BC]]. [[Indigenous peoples of the Americas|Native Americans]] across the American continent relied on it as a staple of their medical treatments.

The active extract of the bark, called [[salicin]], was isolated to its crystalline form in 1828 by [[Henri Leroux]], a French pharmacist, and [[Raffaele Piria]], an Italian chemist, who then succeeded in separating out the acid in its pure state. Salicin

The active extract of the bark, called [[salicin]], was isolated to its crystalline form in 1828 by [[Henri Leroux]], a French pharmacist, and [[Raffaele Piria]], an Italian chemist, who then succeeded in separating out the acid in its pure state. Salicin is acidic when in a [[saturation (chemistry)|saturated solution]] in water (''p''H = 2.4), and is called [[salicylic acid]] for that reason.

is acidic when in a [[saturation (chemistry)|saturated solution]] in water (''p''H = 2.4), and is called [[salicylic acid]] for that reason.

In 1897 [[Felix Hoffmann]] created a synthetically altered version of salicin (in his case derived from the ''[[Spiraea]]'' plant), which caused less digestive upset than pure salicylic acid. The new drug, formally ''[[Acetylsalicylic acid]]'', was named [[aspirin]] by Hoffmann's employer [[Bayer|Bayer AG]]. This gave rise to the hugely important class of drugs known as [[NSAIDs|non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs]] (NSAIDs).

In 1897 [[Felix Hoffmann]] created a synthetically altered version of salicin (in his case derived from the ''[[Spiraea]]'' plant), which caused less digestive upset than pure salicylic acid. The new drug, formally ''[[Acetylsalicylic acid]]'', was named [[aspirin]] by Hoffmann's employer [[Bayer|Bayer AG]]. This gave rise to the hugely important class of drugs known as [[NSAIDs|non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs]] (NSAIDs).