Aspirin or acetylsalicylic acid as it is know formally is one of the first analgesics and anti-inflammatorys to be used widely by doctors. It can be extracted from many sources in nature including the bark of Willow tree's, however modern day advances in chemistry allow aspirin to be manufactured synthetically.

Although aspirin is still widely used, physicians now prefer to treat using new generation NSAID (Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs) which may be more effective and better tolerated by the patient.

Aspirin is used to treat a huge variety of medical conditions ranging from a simple headache to use in the care of post heart surgical patients.