Nazis denied Jewish scientist credit for discovery of aspirin

8220;My hope is that the man who was truly responsible for the discovery of aspirin receives the full credit he deserves,8221; said Sneader, a expert on the history of drug discovery at Strathclyde University.

Sneader, who presented his claims to the Royal Society of Chemistry8217;s annual conference in Edinburgh, said Eichengrun was prevented by the Nazis from challenging Hoffmann8217;s claim and had spent 14 months of the World War Two in a concentration camp. It wasn8217;t until after the war, in 1949, that the then elderly Eichengrun published his claim to the discovery, but he died the same month.

Sneader said in a telephone interview thathe has no doubt that Hoffmann synthesised pure aspirin 8212; acetylsalicylic acid 8212; in 1897 but he believes Eichengrun8217;s claim that it was under his supervision. 8220;There8217;s a clear pattern emerging that substantiates Eichengrun8217;s story,8221; he said.

Hoffmann claimed the discovery in 1934 when the Nazis were already in power in Germany and Eichengrun, then the owner of his own company, was under threat of being removed from his firm.

8220;He had no time to refute Hoffmann8217;s claim,8221; said Sneader, whose work led him to Bayer, which allowed him to examine Hoffmann8217;s laboratory notes. He found the junior chemist had adapted methods, previously developed by Eichengrun to make another drug more palatable, on aspirin. Sneader said Eichengrun is known for other chemical achievements and must be credited with inventing aspirin.

Since it was launched in 1899 to treat headache and rheumatic pain, it is estimated that people have consumed one trillion aspirin tablets. Aspirin is also used to prevent heart attack,colorectal cancer and strokes.