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Ancient cultures developed a variety of bizarre healing methods and concoctions. But was their infrequent success due to their power, or placebo effect?
Contrary to popular belief, aspirin does not occur in nature, it is not found in the willow tree. But there is a connection. Aspirin, or acetyl salicylic acid, was first produced commercially by the Bayer Company based on a synthesis by Felix Hoffmann, a chemist working in 1897 for the Bayer company in Germany. While Hoffmann did indeed synthesize the first commercial sample of acetylsalicylic acid, he certainly was not the first to produce the substance in the laboratory. That honor goes to Karl Friedrich Gerhardt, who in 1853 at Montpelier University in France made an impure version with an aim towards improving on the effects of a salicylic acid, a commonly used pain killer. At the time salicylic acid was extracted from the leaves of the meadowsweet plant and was used for the treatment of fevers and pain, particularly of the arthritic variety. But it had to be taken in large amounts, had a bitter taste and often caused stomach irritation. Gerhardt identified the molecular structure