Since ancient times, willow bark has been used for its healing properties, relieving pain and fevers. There are records of Greek physician Hippocrates having used it, but it also appears on Egyptian papyrus from around 1550 BC! It wasn’t until the second half of the 19th century that salicylic acid (from salix, the scientific name for willow) was synthesised, which led to the invention of aspirin in 1897 (which is one you’ve heard of, right?).