Today paracetamol (acetaminophen), the oldest known synthetic analgesic-antipyretic drug, is one of the most frequently used around the world. The present general review presents the essential knowledge about this drug which has accumulated during the last decade, 1978 from to 1988. It includes recent data concerning toxicity, pharmacokinetics, mechanisms of analgesic and antipyretic action, and therapeutic efficacy. Readers interested in the original papers are referred to 264 bibliographical references.