Paracetamol, phenacetin and aspirin

Paracetamol is the chief metabolite of both acetanilide and phenacetin and it is offered as an analgesic-antipyretic drug having the therapeutic but not the toxic effects of its parent drugs. The drug (N-acetyl-p-aminophenol) is available by itself under the generic name and under various brand names, some of which are advertised to the public, and also in numerous combinations with other analgesic-antipyretics, antihistamines, nasal decongestants and expectorants. Although the substance has been available for many years, it has been widely used for only a relatively short time.