Felix Hoffmann

Aspirin—Hoffman, a young German chemist, sought to relieve his father's arthritis pain with a chemical derivative of salicylic acid, a natural painkiller obtained from willow bark. Convinced of its promise, Hoffman urged Germany's Bayer Company to sell the drug, which was marketed under the name Aspirin. Aspirin is one of the world's most widely used painkillers and has been notably effective in preventing heart attacks and strokes. (2002)

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