Why do humans use aspirin for pain relief? There are many explanations as to why humans use aspirin for pain relief, whether to relieve a headache, to follow a doctor's recommendations, or, unfortunately, to relieve depression in people elderly. Of course, depression is common in almost all age groups, but studies show that older adults are more likely to treat depression with aspirin than with antidepressants. To understand why individuals use this phenomenal tablet, the most logical idea would be to research where the use of aspirin began. The use of aspirin disappeared as early as 3000 BC in “a historical region located in Mesopotamia, in southern Iraq” (Nordqvist 2009). The sources do not associate this period and the discoveries of aspirin with a person but rather with “an ancient Sumerian stone tablet from the Third Dynasty of Ur containing medical texts” (Nordqvist 2009). The province formerly recognized as Mesopotamia is now "located principally in the country of Iraq […] southwest of Iran, southeast of Turkey, and northeast of Syria" (Ancient Mesopotamia 2013 ). This area on the edge of the Mediterranean was once commonly associated with many scientific discoveries. This substance has been used for so long that it could be dated back to 3000 BC thanks to what scientists believe is an ancient stone from Sumer. Although Hippocrates, a well-known and recognized physician, did not discover aspirin, he is widely known and associated with many aspirin topics. According to one source, Hippocrates was described as "one of the earliest and most influential physicians, [...] wrote of a bitter powder extracted from willow bark that could relieve aches and pains and reduce fevers" (Hoffman 2013). The main use of aspirin in the time of Hippocrates was to relieve fever and bac...... middle of paper ......dec 2013. Internet. December 3, 2013. http://www.ducksters.com/history/mesopotamia/ancient_mesopotamia.php Hoffman, Lucas. “Aspirin 101.” How it works. Discovery Communications, LLC. The world's #1 nonfiction media company, Web. December 3, 2013. http://health.howstuffworks.com/medicine/medication/aspirin.htm Nordqvist, Christian. “What is aspirin?” What is aspirin used for? » Medical News Today.MediLexicon, Intl., August 20, 2009. Web. December 3, 2013. http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/161255 Roberts, Shauna. “Take two: Aspirin” ADVERTISING. American Chemical Society. Internet. January 9, 2014 http://pubs.acs.org/subscribe/journals/mdd/v03/i08/html/10health.html Rabin, Robin. “How much aspirin is good?” » New York Times. The New YorkTimes Company, March 26, 2012. Web. December 3, 2013. http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/03/26/how-much-aspirin-is-too-much-of-a-good-thing/?_r=0