Quiz for the day.

[davywavy]

The Mediaeval Magician/Doctor called Paracelcus once invented a medicine he called the "Weapon Salve". This worked on the principles of sympathetic magic - if a person were harmed by a weapon or similar object, then the weapon would be coated in the salve and bandaged and treated. The power of sympathetic magic would cause the healing opwer of the salve to tranfer itself to the would inflicted, facilitating recovery. If the weapon that inflicted the wound could not be identified or recovered, then another weapon would be touched to the wound and treated accordingly.

Interestingly, injured patients treated in this way would often recover far more quickly - and stand a better chance of recovery from their wounds - than those simply treated in the ordinary fashion. Why was this?

A drink for the first full correct answer.

Comments

[raggedyman.livejournal.com]

you want a full answer - we want full details. Considering the amount of medical treatments that were around at that time, dependent on location, exact time period, belief etc etc its a bit unfair to ask what the ordinary course of treatment was when there was so much variety.
It could have been: cover in cow dung, hit with nettles, coat in tar, cut off with hatchet, soak in any number of herbs, piss on it, clean with maggots, wrap in silk, coat in wool, cover with wood chips, fill up with beef, stuff with incense, leave open whilst praying etc etc

not moaning as such, just pointing out a slight problem with your reques

[sherbetsaucers.livejournal.com]

You bloody moaner!

[davywavy.livejournal.com]

You don't think I'm giving away a pint on an *easy* question do you?

[raggedyman.livejournal.com]

i think your being a smug git and tormenting us with the fading chance of sweet sweet life giving booze ;-p