† weapon-salven.
Obsolete.figurative.1659 E. Stillingfleet (title) Irenicum. A Weapon-salve for the Churches Wounds.1678 V. Alsop Melius Inquirendum Pref. sig. Aii The Title raised me on tip-toes to see..that famous weapon-salve; which might consolidate the Churches bleeding wounds.
An ointment superstitiously believed to heal a wound by sympathetic agency when applied to the weapon by which the wound was made.
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the world > health and disease > healing > medicines or physic > medicines for specific purpose > preparations to heal or generate tissue > [noun] > for healing wounds or fractures > for healing wounds > applied to weapon, etc.
weapon-salve1631
sword-salve1647
powder of sympathy1658
sympathetic powder1661
1631 W. Foster (title) Hoplocrisma-Spongus; or, A Sponge to wipe away the Weapon-Salve..wherein is proved, that the Cure late-taken up amongst us, by applying the Salve to the Weapon, is Magicall and unlawfull.
1633 J. Hart Κλινικη iii. xxx. 373 Cures..supposed to have been performed by the weapon-salve.
a1646 J. Gregory Posthuma (1649) 63 The Principal Ingredient of the weapon-Salv, is the Moss of a dead Man's-skul.
1670 J. Dryden & W. Davenant Shakespeare's Tempest v. 74 Anoint the Sword which pierc'd him with this Weapon-Salve, and wrap it close from air till I have time to visit him again.
1830 W. Scott Lett. Demonol. & Witchcraft vi. 191 The effects of healing by the weapon-salve.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1926; most recently modified version published online December 2020).
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n.1631