h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hi WD,

As a non-medic, I can't comment on the technicalities, but as a Scout I think this is a very high-quality article. Congratulations on a job well done - and on responding so positively to people's comments. A fine team effort.

BTW (tiny point), It's "Let's" (Let us) not "Lets" take an example...

GVI

Thank you very much for the compliment!

As I wrote all the way up in the first posting, this is my first attempt at a 'proper' entry, so I'm really chuffed to see that people have responded so well to it I might write some more entries....

The lets->let's should be corrected now; any other bits that I could tweak (punctuation and content/style/spelling tweaking, not, ahem, other tweaking...) to get it right?

More thoughts very gratefully recieved!

First off, let me start by saying that this is a great topic for a guide entry!

Now, here are my comments as I come upon them:

1) paracetamol is NOT an NSAID. unlike aspirin and ibuprofen, it has no anti-inflammatory properties.

2) versus is abbreviated vs. not v.s.

3) i think it would be incredibly useful to have some history on the drug -- i.e., who invented it and when.

4) ibuprofen is not inherently stronger than aspirin - but the side effects are lower and so you're allowed to take a higher effective dose.

5) you refer to both prostaglangins and arachidonic acid rather frequently in the entry - as these terms will not be familiar to the average reader, I think they need to be defined more clearly in the beginning.

6) you vaguely mention this in the end, but it's worth stating more clearly that there are LOTS of medications out there that can't be taken concurrently with aspirin.

7) i think the title needs some help.

hope this helps some!


Mikey

Thanks very much for the comments and compliments! Much appriciated

I will include a history at some point and some other drugs that can be taken concurrently with aspirin too.

You're absolutely right about the prostaglandins and arachidonic acid terminology-tried to make it clear-but it does need to be clearer.

I actually had a very big argument with a friend about paracetemol being a NSAID or not and had to clear it up by getting the book out. When I was researching the entry, actually I was quite surprised too. I was under the impression that it wasn't, but according to the textbooks it is. It's not that it has no anti-inflammatory effect, but very little to the point of virtually none. But it acts in the same way as all NSAIDS in the other two respects- anti-fever and analgesic (pain relieving by affecting nerves) with small anti-inflammatory effects. All depends on what prostaglandins are inhibited. Best put that one in too.

Yep-title needs changing; I'll shorten it to 'Aspirin', but I'm open to suggestion.

Will do something about the ibuprofen strength/dosage thing too-thank you for correcting me!

I will alter it soon-but have fallen a bit ill at the moment, so it may take some time before changes are seen

But in the meantime, some more thoughts would be great!

Ok! Feeling much better now, so made some changes.

>changed the title to just 'Aspirin', still open to suggestion though
>tried to make the prostaglandin/arachidonic acid aspect clearer
>mentioned that aspirin can be taken with lots of other drugs, and is also sold as in combination with other drugs
>added a short history of the drug

More comments gratefully recieved!

Just tried my hand at adding a picture to the entry-what do you think?

More comments gratefully received!

Great entry, though I've got a remark to make:

'Aspirin(R)' is a trademark of Bayer and not a class name or such. Thus the name should be written with a capital 'A' if you choose to stick with it. I know Bayer likes the idea of people thinking in terms of 'the Aspirin', but the substance in question is acetylsalicylic acid which is also available from different competitors (and at significantly lower prices) under their respective brand names.

BTW, there's a web site you could link to, and the URL isn't hard to guess!

Just to repeat: This is a great entry, no doubt it will get edited

Thank you for the comments! I have tried my best to act on them, so here are the changes:

>changing the title to Aspirin (R)
>all references to aspirin are as Aspirin
>adding a footnote about paracetemol's status as an NSAID
>adding another footnote about the registered trademark status of the name Aspirin
>adding a link to Bayer's website
>and adding a few references

More comments gratefully received!

Just done a bit of layout tinkering - what do you think?

Love some more comments please!

I'd suggest the title without the (R) bit, or how does this sound:

Acetylsalicylic Acid - widely known as Aspirin

BTW, Aspirin has its very own website, as .com and also as .de (that's what my initial suggestion for the link was pointing at )

Other than that, it's ready for the Guide, and you may prepare yourself for the harder part of waiting for a Scout with a recommending arrow left to spend.

In the meantime, how about easing the fate of other researchers further down the Peer Review by leaving them some comments? You seem to be knowing how it feels to be waiting for feedback

Ok-some last changes as you suggested (unless anyone else has any )

>change of title to the one above
>link to aspirin.com and others (fasinating websites-the obvious totally missed me, but I guess that's the story of my life...)

Thanks for all the comments chaps! You've all been great!

(any further ones in the meantime, will be gratefully receieved!)

My 'know-it-all' book states that a Karl Gerhardt actually invented ASA in 1853, without devising any application for it (which Hoffman did find later on, and Bayer patented it in 1899).

Some more brand names are: ASS-ratiopharm, Godamed, Boxazin-S
Alcacyl, Bufferin, ASS (in Germany, ASA in UK), Anacin, Ascriptin, Coricidin D, Darvon Compound, Ecotrin, Empirin,
Equagesic, Excedrin, Fiorinal, Gelprin, Norgesic, Percodan, Robaxisal, Soma Compound, Talwin, Compound, Vanquish.


And you may note that the 'salicyl' relates back to the willow tree, Salix alba)

Yep-included all of that; I was wondering what those other tradenames are.....now I know-thanks very much! How is it now?

More comments gratefully received!

I think your intoductory warning is not stressed enough. You say:

The importance of the fact that the person to seek for advice on medication is your doctor cannot really be stressed enough.

This is too roundabout. You should say:

The person to seek for advice on medication is your doctor.

You should put this in bold tags to stress it even more. I think the bold tags and will work.

Right-that has been done too. Thanks for pointing that one out!

Any more comments will be gratefully received!

Just in case this one gets picked for Inclusion into the Edited Guide (and I am in no doubt that it ~WILL~ be picked very soon), you (or the upcoming SubEditor) might like to add a link to the Entry about Medical Jargon at http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/A455979 . That's up to you, you're the author, so it's your decision.

Great Entry! Very useful, well researched, complete, understandable. Hands down for that one!

Very complete... There is almost everything worth knowing in there. BUT...

"on overdose, hyperventilation due to the blood being too acidic. Remember that aspirin is converted into an acid when transported in the blood, so too much can make the blood too acidic."

You should mention the dosage... How much can I take until it's dangerous. I had a friend who swallowed 5 pills of Aspirin and went to the dentist... He almost haematorrhaged. How many grammes of ASS do I need to ingest until my blood becomes acidic?

Is there a LD50 for Aspirin.

That kinda data would be worth including, because Aspirin is such a widely spread analgaesic and everyone takes them on self-administration... People should not be scared of Aspirin, they just ought to know the limit.

Apart from that the entry is excellent (maybe a bit to sober but thisi is just me)...

HELL

Thank you so much for the comments!

Ooooh... doseage effects; bit different from person to person. Not sure about the LD50, but I'll have a look and see if I can slip it in anywhere.

I did just have a lecture on when the thereaputic dose gets dangerous, so I might just slip that one in too-it has got stuff about dosage and toxic amounts, and as you (quite rightly as well) said, I probably need to mention that.

Will put in a link to medical jargon-didn't realise there was an entry (might help me too....).

Anyway, I will try to act on them soon-but in the meantime, any more comments will be gratefully received!

WD

Well, I got one - this entry's going to be in the Edited Guide!

This entry has been accepted and will shortly be winging its way to a subeditor for what few finishing touches may be required, and then you'll be emailed when it hits the Front Page!

Well done, and keep up the good work, Witty Ditty and everyone who has made this entry a 'Peer Review success story'.

Thank you so much to everyone that has helped me edit this entry and asked me to pop stuff on it that really needed adding and removing stuff that really needed cutting.

I want to thank everyone who has posted on this thread for all the comments and critisism (I am extremely grateful for all of them); because without them, this entry wouldn't have gotten where it is now-you are all a part of this as much as myself, so here's a for you all!

Have a on me! But don't get too or you will be needing an aspirin in the morning!


Keep safe everyone - and thank you again!
WD (WD42 ->the Meaning of Life; canned for your conveinience)