[PENANCE]

Um, that’s not where aspirin — nor ass-pirin — comes from.

Aspirin (salicylic acid) comes from willow bark. The willow’s scientific genus is ‘salix’. The “castoreum” oil from a beaver’s anal glands therefore does CONTAIN some salicylic acid because their diet is heavy in willow bark. But, to the best of my knowledge, nobody ever used the oily secretions from a beaver’s anal glands to cure a headache.

[thecodont]

The “castoreum” oil from a beaver’s anal glands therefore does CONTAIN some salicylic acid because their diet is heavy in willow bark.

Right, I was saying the beavers probably got their salicylic acid from eating the willow trees. I didn't mean that people were getting aspirin from a beaver's behind!

[triumphant values]

Aspirin (salicylic acid) comes from willow bark. The willow’s scientific genus is ‘salix’. The “castoreum” oil from a beaver’s anal glands therefore does CONTAIN some salicylic acid because their diet is heavy in willow bark. But, to the best of my knowledge, nobody ever used the oily secretions from a beaver’s anal glands to cure a headache.

I read in an old (and I mean like early 20th century) medical journal how beaver gland oil was used in some late 18th and 19th century patent medications as a topical pain killer.