Willow bark has been used as a treatment for pain and fever in
China since 500 BC. In Europe, it was primarily used for
altogether different purposes, such as stopping vomiting,
removing warts, and suppressing sexual desire. However, in 1828,
European chemists made a discovery that would bring together
some of these different uses. They extracted the substance
salicin from white willow, which was soon purified to salicylic
acid. Salicylic acid is an effective treatment for pain and
fever, but it is also sufficiently irritating to do a good job
of burning off warts. Chemists later modified salicylic acid
(this time from the herb meadowsweet) to create acetylsalicylic
acid, or aspirin. What Is White Willow Used for Today? As
interest in natural medicine has grown, many people have begun
to turn back to white willow as an alternative to aspirin. One
double-blind, placebo-controlled trial found it effective for
back pain , and another found it helpful for osteoarthritis . It
is also used for such conditions as bu