History of aspirin History of aspirin The history of aspirin (IUPAC name acetylsalicylic acid ) begins with its synthesis and manufacture in 1899. Before that, salicylic acid had been used medicinally since antiquity. Medicines made from willow and other salicylate-rich plants appear in clay tablets from ancient Sumer as well as the Ebers Papyrus from ancient Egypt. Hippocrates referred to their use of salicylic tea to reduce fevers around 400 BC, and were part of the pharmacopoeia of Western medicine in classical antiquity and the Middle Ages. Willow bark extract became recognized for its specific effects on fever, pain and inflammation in the
Asa C. Matthews as collector of the United States Internal Revenue. In 1889, President Benjamin Harrison appointed Matthews comptroller of the United States Treasury. In 1893, Matthews wrote a vignette for the World's Fair predicting what life in the U.S. would be like 100 years in the future. His predictions were grandiose, predicting the U.S. having 60 states and controlling all of North America. Matthews died suddenly at his home in Pittsfield, Illinois. Asa C. Matthews Asa Carrington Matthews (March 22, 1833 – June 14, 1908) was an American lawyer, judge, and politician. Born in Pike County, Illinois, Matthews went to the public