Weapon Salve
Preserved but no longer current.
A salve said to cure wounds by sympathy; applied not to the wound, but to the instrument which gave the wound. The direction "Bind the wound and grease the nail" is still common. Sir Kenelm Digby says the salve is sympathetic, and quotes several instances to prove that "as the sword is treated the wound inflicted by it feels. Thus, if the instrument is kept wet, the wound will feel cool; if held to the fire, it will feel hot"; etc.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Weapon Salve” mean?
A salve said to cure wounds by sympathy; applied not to the wound, but to the instrument which gave the wound. The direction "Bind the wound and grease the nail" is still common. Sir Kenelm Digby says the salve is sympathetic, and quotes several instances to prove that "as the sword is treated the wound inflicted by it feels. Thus, if the instrument is kept wet, the wound will feel cool; if held to the fire, it will feel hot"; etc.
Is “Weapon Salve” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.