Final answer:
APC tablets were composed of Aspirin, Phenacetin, and Caffeine, which makes the correct answer A) Aspirin, Phenacetin, Caffeine. They offered pain relief and fever reduction, but safety concerns over Phenacetin led to its eventual discontinuation in many countries.
Step-by-step explanation:
APC tablets were a combination pain reliever consisting of different ingredients designed to alleviate pain, reduce fever, and in some cases enhance the efficacy of the primary painkillers. The correct composition for APC tablets is Aspirin, Phenacetin, and Caffeine, which aligns with option A) Aspirin, Phenacetin, Caffeine. These tablets were used before safety concerns emerged about some of their ingredients, such as Phenacetin.
Aspirin, which is a form of acetylsalicylic acid, has been known for its pain-relieving and anti-inflammatory properties for many centuries. Caffeine is sometimes added to pain relievers to enhance their painkilling effect. Phenacetin was an analgesic and antipyretic drug but was mostly withdrawn from use due to its side effects, including the risk of renal damage. Therefore, APC tablets comprised ingredients with analgesic (pain reliever), antipyretic (fever reducer), and, with the exception of Phenacetin, anti-inflammatory properties.