BPS 1101 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Coal Tar, William Henry Perkin, Aspirin
16 May 2016
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Pain medication: was only accessible to the rich! Many prescription meds are annulled by natural supplements! Need both incidence and info to evaluate risk! Aspirin - one of world"s most popular drugs! *all produce salicylates that taste bad for protection! Knowledge of herbs lost during dark ages ! Persecution of witches for knowledge of herbs! Given for fever ( in steeped tea)! You had to live in area w/ willow for this treatment! 1. 5 kg willow bark -------> 30 g salicin! From a natural source (but in trace amount)! Treated w/ steam: can be converted to natural gas! Ended up w/ a waste product of coal tar! Natural: 1. 5 kg willow bark -----------------------------> 14 g salicylic acid! Synthetic: 1 kg oil (coal tar) ----------------------------> 300 g salicylic acid! Salicylic acid made and sold by drug companies! Tinnitus (ringing in ears ---> sign of poisoning)! A. s. a. effective for muscle pain but not for visceral (internal organs)!
