Dayhoff Westminster Soundtrack: DAYHOFF: Facing issues of the day, here's an ode to a little pain reliever

Sunday, March 13, 2011

DAYHOFF: Facing issues of the day, here's an ode to a little pain reliever

http://www.explorecarroll.com/opinion/5244/facing-issues-day-heres-ode-little-pain-reliever/

@explorecarroll it was 112 yrs ago last Sun that aspirin 1 of the most widely used drugs in world was patented http://tinyurl.com/4vqxu89

Explore Carroll: DAYHOFF: Facing issues of the day, here's an ode to a little pain reliever http://t.co/IerBQoT via @Digg

DAYHOFF: Facing issues of the day, here's an ode to a little pain reliever

EAGLE ARCHIVE By Kevin Dayhoff Posted 3/13/11

It seems to be cold, flu and sinus season, compounded these days by state and local governments wrangling with budgets, controversial legislation, tax revenue declines and concerns about unemployment and the economy.

With all that in mind, I'm reminded that it was 112 years ago last Sunday that aspirin, one of the most widely used drugs in the world, was patented.

Actually, origins of this medicine, found in most everyone's medicine cabinet -- including our current Board of County Commissioners, I'd wager -- dates back to the beginnings of written history.

In an age when wonder drugs are being formulated in laboratories throughout the world, chances are you may not be aware the active ingredients of aspirin -- acetylsalicylic acid -- were originally discovered as a plant extract from willow and poplar trees, and the shrub spirea.