In America, more than 80 billion aspirin tablets are consumed each year. Aspirin is a trade name for acetyl salicyclic acid and is effective as an analgesic, antipyretic, and anti-inflammatory drug.
History
Aspirin's predecessors, derivatives of salicylic acids, have been used to treat a variety of conditions for more than 2,500 years.
The Greek physician, Hippocrates (400BC), recommended the use of willow bark (a natural source of salicylates) to ease pain during childbirth. This use of salicylates was also advocated by Galen, a second century Roman physician, and mentioned in medical texts of the Middle Ages and Renaissance.
In 1757, Reverend Edward Stone conducted the first scientific study of natural sources of salicylates and wrote about the success of willow bark in the cure of fevers and aches.
Leroux showed in 1829, that salicin is the active agent in willow and was first extracted by Fontana and Brugnatelli. Salicin was concerted into Salicylic acid by the Italian chemist Piria in 1839. It was synthesised by a process discovered by Kolbe and Lautemann in 1860 which led to the introduction of Salicylic acid and sodium salicylate (forerunners of aspirin) for treatment of fever and arthiritis. However, these compounds were toxic to the stomach and caused diarrhoea and vomiting.
German chemist Felix Hoffmann was set the task by Arthur Eichengrun of Friedrich Bayer & Co in 1893, to find a less toxic alternative. Hoffmann returned with a related compound. Putting salicin through a series of chemical reactions, acetylsalicylic acid was created.
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Peer Reviews
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Quality of writing
This essay is reasonable well written, the candidate uses appropriate technical terms and there no errors with spelling or grammar. However there are times in which this essay is hard to follow, it feels very much like an amalgamation of different facts rather than a discussion. This can often be avoided if you take the time to think about what you want to say and write out a plan. It can also help to read your work as you write so that you stay on track.
Level of analysis
It is evident that the candidate has taken time to research aspirin and how it works, this is important as you want to make sure that you get your facts right. By taking the time to research your topic you show dedication and enthusiasm towards your subject which is always a good thing and the additional information this enables you to discuss can make your essay more interesting to read. That said, it is essential that you state any resources you have used, if you have taken information from a book then you must list the name and author of the book you have used and if you take information form an online source you must a link to that source. This allows the reader to see the steps you have taken to prepare for your essay and providing you have written the information in your own words, it shows that your work is not plagiarised. On a final note, the candidate has failed to write a conclusion which causes the essay to come to abrupt end. You should always a write a conclusion, this is your chance to leave the reader with a good impression of your work. Your conclusion should summarise key points form your essay with reference to why these are relevant as this helps to tie together any loose ends.
Response to question
The candidates overall response is reasonably good and they have demonstrated a good understanding of this topic but the purpose of this essay is unclear and is there is some room for improvement. There is no clear introduction to this essay, which is a mistake. It is important that you take the time to write an introduction as this sets the tone for the rest of your essay. Your introduction should include a few sentences that introduce your topic and a clear statement of what you plan to discuss so that the purpose of you essay is clear.