Why is Aspirin the greatest discovery ever?

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Why is Aspirin the greatest discovery ever?

Introduction

In this project I will investigate the therapeutic uses of aspirin and its effects on individuals, medical science and the world. I aim to come to a conclusion whether Aspirin is the greatest discovery made. I will look at informative articles from reliable sources to gain my information and present it in this project.

History of Aspirin

Aspirin or acetylsalicylic acid as it is known in science was discovered by the father of modern medicine, Hippocrates in approximately 400 B.C. Hippocrates extracted powder from the bark and leaves of a willow tree to create a medicine which is now known as aspirin.

Salicin was the original, standard form of aspirin which many Chemists and Pharmacists researched to improve its purity and effect. Raffaele Piria, an Italian chemist, split salicin into a sugar and an aromatic component and converted the latter, by hydrolysis and oxidation, to form salicylic acid."

The final push for the production of aspirin came from a German Chemist named Felix Hoffmann. He rediscovered the formula originally found by Charles Frederic Gerhardt to change its effect on the stomach, as pure salicylic