Inside Science No 125 “Roots of history”
(13 November) states that
salicylic acid originates in the leaves of a species of willow and is “better
known to most of us as aspirin”. In fact, it is salicin which is extracted from
willow bark. Salicin is a source of salicylic acid, which does have a
painkilling effect but is toxic in large doses. Aspirin, or acetylsalicylic
acid, is an artificial derivative of salicylic acid that has similar analgesic
effects but is less toxic.
