Aspirin Preparations and Their Noxious Effect on the Gastro-intestinal Tract

A solution of aspirin is as potent a cause of blood loss as the B.P. tablet of aspirin.This suggests that undissolved tablet particles have no direct relevance to this problem.It is suggested that gastric absorption of undissociated acetylsalicylic acid is one of the factors concerned in causing blood loss.This leads us to question the validity of much prevailing thought about physico-chemical differences between different preparations of aspirin.We are indebted to Dr. B. K. Martin for much help and advice; to Mr. M. P. Curwen for advice on the statistical treatment of the results; to Mrs. E. B.