# Another explanation as to why boiled water is need during chilid birth **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [November 8, 2002, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-explanation-as-to-why-boiled-water-is-need-during-chilid-birth/135836 "2002-11-08T04:17:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![the\_vendetta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d26b3c/32.png) [@the\_vendetta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_vendetta)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2002, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-explanation-as-to-why-boiled-water-is-need-during-chilid-birth/135836/1 "2002-11-08T04:17:38Z")
Hippocrates an ancient Greek medical nerd suggested the use of substance derived from willow bark during child birth to ease pain. In modern day science we know that whie willow bark contains salicin. The salicin is converted to salycilic acid in boiling water, which we all know is the prime ingredient in aspirin, the most common painkiller. So my conclusion comes to this: when the water was boiled could it have been possible that willow bark was added to it. Obviously I am not talking about the Western frontier America anymore since the theory Hippocrates dates way back. I’m just rambling here can anyone do a more thorough investigation on this? ---
**Author:** ![the\_vendetta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d26b3c/32.png) [@the\_vendetta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_vendetta)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2002, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-explanation-as-to-why-boiled-water-is-need-during-chilid-birth/135836/2 "2002-11-08T04:22:21Z")
sorry here is link [http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a5\_109.html](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a5_109.html) ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2002, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-explanation-as-to-why-boiled-water-is-need-during-chilid-birth/135836/3 "2002-11-08T05:45:36Z")
Hi and welcome to the boards, and thanks for including the link! 🙂 There’s no way of telling whether people even boiled water for childbirth back in ancient Greece, let alone put willow bark into it, but feel free to ramble, that’s fine with us. ---
**Author:** ![Achernar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e274bd/32.png) [@Achernar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Achernar)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2002, 9:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-explanation-as-to-why-boiled-water-is-need-during-chilid-birth/135836/4 "2002-11-08T09:16:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Duck Duck Goose \* > **There’s no way of telling whether people even boiled water for childbirth back in ancient Greece, let alone put willow bark into it,** Why do you say that, if you don’t mind my asking? ---
**Author:** ![Stentor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d2c977/32.png) [@Stentor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stentor)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2002, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-explanation-as-to-why-boiled-water-is-need-during-chilid-birth/135836/5 "2002-11-10T19:02:32Z")
Mothers, help me out here. Is aspirin strong enough to act as an anesthetic during childbirth? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2002, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-explanation-as-to-why-boiled-water-is-need-during-chilid-birth/135836/6 "2002-11-12T18:10:09Z")
It probably wouldn’t have been _enough_, but tell me: Would you rather have a childbirth with aspirin, or with nothing at all? I’m sure that Hellenic mothers took whatever they could get. ---
**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2002, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-explanation-as-to-why-boiled-water-is-need-during-chilid-birth/135836/7 "2002-11-13T15:29:25Z")
Willow bark was used as a fever reducer more than as a painkiller, although I’m sure that Hippocrates noted both effects. But there are two things that make this scenario unlikely: 1. The salicylates are well-known for eliminating small pains, but scarcely affecting greater pains. 2. People _chewed_ willow bark. Why would one want to complicate the administration _and_ dilute the effect by boiling it? Salicin is converted in the body to salicylic acid.