For nearly half a century, I have never taken any medication other than panadol or aspirin, given their effectiveness in relieving pain. Recently, I began enquiring about the origins of these medications, the difference between aspirin and panadol, and whether one is considered more authentic or superior than the other. Class distinctions exist in every society, with significant variations between countries.
Since the dawn of society, boasting or showing off to others has been a natural human behavior. Some families rise to higher social standing through knowledge, prestige, or marriage, while others fall to a lower status due to poverty or scandal. The health of any society can be judged by the size of its middle class, as it represents the driving force, the most productive, knowledgeable, educated, and generous segment, and the backbone of any advanced society. This is evident in many developed European societies, which do not suffer significantly from segregation or rigid class systems.
Panadol and aspirin are different, as each serves a distinct function. Aspirin is the older of the two, with origins linked to natural sources containing salicylates, particularly willow bark. Panadol is the common brand name for paracetamol, a drug developed in the late 19th century in its modern pharmaceutical form. It has a different composition and mechanism of action and is primarily used to relieve certain types of pain and reduce fever. Aspirin is characterized by its anti-inflammatory and antiplatelet properties, and is sometimes used under medical supervision to help prevent blood clots.
However, it is not suitable for everyone due to its blood-thinning effect. Initially, Aspirin received little attention, and people continued to use salicin to treat fever, inflammation, and joint pain.
In 1893, the young German chemist Felix Hoffmann experimented with aspirin at the German company Bayer, which had been founded in 1863 by the dye merchant Friedrich Bayer and his assistant Johann Weskott, both of whom were likely of German origin. Panadol was also used to treat fever, inflammation, and joint pain. Hoffmann reportedly experimented with various compounds in an attempt to relieve his father’s joint pain, including aspirin, and unexpectedly observed a positive effect. Bayer chemists soon realized that Hoffmann had discovered a new medicine. His trade name, “Aspirin,” was formed from three parts - “A” for acetyl, “spir” from the Latin name of the plant “Spiraea ulmaria”, and “in”, a common suffix used at the time for naming medications.
Aspirin, which evolved from powder to tablets, became one of the most widely used drugs in the world. Germany’s defeat in the war led the Allies to seize the trademark as part of the reparations imposed on it. Germany relinquished its rights to France, Britain, the United States, and Russia in 1918. For the following two years, pharmaceutical companies disputed the rights to the aspirin brand name, leading to legal action.
A 1921 ruling determined that no single company could own the name due to its widespread global use, thus denying exclusive ownership. Today, nearly a century after aspirin was first used, scientists still have not fully understood how this remarkable drug works in the body or exactly how it relieves pain.
By Ahmad alsarraf
email: [email protected]
email: [email protected]
