Nhu wrote: "salicylic acid (which can be extracted from willow bark - Salix::salicylic). " The common salicylic drug we all know is aspirin, but it's not derived from willows. It gets it name from the German name, spirsäure, of a synthesized form of salycilic acid. The “spir” in spirsäure is derived from the name of the meadowsweet plant, Spiraea ulmaria., a rosaceous plant. Here's how the wikipedia puts it "The name Aspirin was derived from the name of the chemical ASA—Acetylspirsäure in German. Spirsäure (salicylic acid) was named for the meadowsweet plant, Spirea ulmaria, from which it could be derived." Jim McKenney