526  American  Acetylsalicylic  Acid.  {Am"ji°y%£h8arm" 
Discussion. — Apart  from  the  proposed  revision  of  the  standards 
for  the  melting  point  and  limit  of  salicylic  acid  in  acetylsalicylic  acid, 
the  examination  shows  that  there  is  no  appreciable  difference  between 
the  various  brands  of  acetylsalicylic  acid  examined,  all  of  them  with 
one  exception  (acetylsalicylic  acid,  Millikin,  5 -grain  capsules,  pur- 
chased on  the  open  market)  complying  with  the  tests  described  in 
this  paper.  The  Journal  of  the  American  Medical  Association,  in 
past  years,  has  protested  repeatedly  against  the  monopoly  given  to 
the  Bayer  Company  for  their  "  Aspirin,"  contending  that  acetylsali- 
cylic acid  (aspirin)  was  not  new,  and  that  "  Aspirin,  Bayer"  was 
simply  a  good  brand  of  acetylsalicylic  acid  which  could  be  bought 
in  foreign  countries  at  much  lower  prices  than  here.  Although  the 
patent  in  the  United  States  has  expired,  "  Aspirin,  Bayer "  is  still 
being  retailed  at  higher  prices  than  other  products  which  are  now 
enjoying  the  privilege  of  American  manufacture. 
Mr.  Paul  Bakewell,17  in  an  opinion  answering  the  warning  cir- 
cular of  the  Bayer  Co.  in  reference  to  the  use  of  the  word  "  aspirin  " 
by  firms  other  than  Bayer,  argues  very  ably  that  acetylsalicylic  acid, 
before  the  patent  was  granted,  meant  the  impure  substance  which 
was  not  used  therapeutically,  while  "  aspirin  "  was  designated  as  the 
improved  product  (a  new  article  of  manufacture,  the  particular 
acetylsalicylic  acid  made  under  the  Hoffman  patent)  and  "  is  the 
substance  now  known  in  pharmacy  as  aspirin"  (statement  made  by 
an  officer  of  the  Farbenfabriken  of  Elberfeld  Co.  in  U.  S.  Circuit 
Court,  1909).  The  products  reported  in  this  paper  are  (with  the 
one  exception)  the  same  as  described  in  the  Hoffman  patent,  and, 
in  the  sense  of  Mr.  Bakewell's  argument,  are  "  aspirin."  However, 
it  would  seem  better  if  the  name  acetylsalicylic  acid,  instead  of 
aspirin,  were  used,  especially  by  physicians  in  their  prescriptions 
because  (1)  it  is  a  generic,  scientific  name;  (2)  "Aspirin,  Bayer" 
is  sold  at  higher  prices  than  other  products,  whereas  chemically 
equivalent  products  sold  under  the  descriptive  name  may  be  pur- 
chased at  a  lower  price.  Finally,  the  manufacture  of  acetylsali- 
cylic acid  in  this  country  is  another  example  of  the  fact  that  Ameri- 
can chemists  can  produce  the  drug  synthetics,  and  at  the  same  time 
make  products  as  good  as,  if  not  better  than,  those  of  German  origin. 
17  "  In  the  Matter  of  Aspirin.  Answer  to  the  warning  circular  of  the 
Bayer  Co.  of  June  1,  1917,"  by  Mr.  Paul  Bakewell,  Monsanto  Chemical 
Works. 
