Aspirin
Aspirin was a drug used by humans in tablet form to relieve mild pain.
Aspirin and Time Lords[]
Aspirin was a poison fatal to Time Lords. (PROSE: The Left-Handed Hummingbird [+]Kate Orman, Virgin New Adventures (Virgin Books, 1993).)
Jo Grant once offered an unidentified tablet to the Third Doctor, who declined because it was for the wrong metabolism and would probably kill him. (TV: The Mind of Evil [+]Don Houghton, Doctor Who season 8 (BBC1, 1971).)
The Sixth Doctor found himself poisoned by a large, concentrated dose of aspirin, which he knew to cause severe allergic, pulmonary and cerebral embolism in Time Lords. He fell into a deep coma while his body fought off the effects. (PROSE: Burning Heart [+]Dave Stone, Virgin Missing Adventures (Virgin Books, 1997).)
Another such attempt was made on the Sixth Doctor's life when an alien who knew Time Lord physiology poisoned his tea with soluble aspirin. The Doctor counteracted the aspirin by eating chocolate, a source of simple triglycerides which the Doctor's body easily absorbed. This negated the anti-platelet effect of the aspirin. (AUDIO: The Condemned [+]Eddie Robson, Main Range (Big Finish Productions, 2008).)
The Seventh Doctor knew one good dose of aspirin would be enough to kill him. (PROSE: The Left-Handed Hummingbird [+]Kate Orman, Virgin New Adventures (Virgin Books, 1993).)
One of the Time Lords from the War in Heaven's future amused himself by taking powdered aspirin as a snuff, which would have killed a normal Time Lord in seconds by interfering with hormone receptor intermediaries. (PROSE: The Taking of Planet 5 [+]Simon Bucher-Jones and Mark Clapham, BBC Eighth Doctor Adventures (BBC Books, 1999).)
The Eighth Doctor, frustrated by the lack of service he found in a local government building, joked that he wanted to take an aspirin for the headache he'd gotten from the situation. (AUDIO: Caerdroia [+]Lloyd Rose, Main Range (Big Finish Productions, 2004).)
Aspirin was among the remedies Jackie Tyler suggested to treat the newly regenerated Tenth Doctor's neuron implosion on Christmas Eve 2006. (TV: The Christmas Invasion [+]Russell T Davies, Doctor Who Christmas special (BBC One, 2005).)
Other appearances[]
In 1555, Francois de Noailles accused Evelyn Smythe of plotting to use the aspirin she brought with her to poison Queen Mary I. (AUDIO: The Marian Conspiracy [+]Jacqueline Rayner, Main Range (Big Finish Productions, 2000).)
In 1979, Professor Chronotis offered Chris Parsons some aspirin for his headache. (TV: Shada [+]Douglas Adams, Doctor Who (1992)., WC: Shada [+]Douglas Adams and Gary Russell, adapted from Shada (Douglas Adams), BBCi animations (2003).)
By the 25th century, aspirin was no longer used. Barbara Wright got some aspirin from the TARDIS' first aid kit for Vicki's headache, but she compared taking the pills to the use of leeches. (TV: The Web Planet [+]Bill Strutton, Doctor Who season 2 (BBC1, 1965).) Later, the Doctor no longer carried aspirin in his TARDIS. (PROSE: The Infinity Race [+]Simon Messingham, BBC Eighth Doctor Adventures (BBC Books, 2002).)
Raoul once took aspirin for a tension headache. (PROSE: Hospitality [+]Paul Magrs, Iris: Abroad (2010).)
Behind the scenes[]
- The tablet which would have killed the Doctor in The Mind of Evil was not specified as aspirin, but was assumed to be so. It became accepted as such after Kate Orman specified the Doctor's weakness toward aspirin in The Left-Handed Hummingbird. Other references followed that novel.