Carton of aspirin perles, by Warrick Brothers, Ltd., London

Aspirin has traditionally been taken to relieve pain and fevers and can be bought at chemists and some ordinary shops. The makers of these tablets or ‘perles’, Warrick Bros Ltd, advertised their product as tasteless and easily swallowed. Aspirin was first introduced in 1896 by the German pharmaceutical manufacturer Bayer after being discovered by one of their researchers, chemist Felix Hoffmann (1868-1946).