Salicylic, << `sal` uh SIHL ihk, >> acid belongs to a group of chemical compounds used as drugs to reduce fever and pain. Acetylsalicylic acid, one of the most widely used drugs, is prepared from salicylic acid. Acetylsalicylic acid is commonly known as aspirin. See Aspirin .
Salicylic acid is also used in treating ringworm and eczema, and in making dyes. It is also an effective food preservative. But its use for this purpose is forbidden in the United States and in some other countries because salicylic acid can be poisonous in large amounts. A naturally occurring derivative of salicylic acid called methyl salicylate is also useful. It smells like wintergreen and is used as a food flavoring and in ointments designed to relieve muscular pain.
Salicylic acid is a white powder. It was first prepared in 1838 from salicin, a compound found in the bark of willow trees.
