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]

Re 3): i was thinking that but couldnt work out why they would do it. sympathetic magic works on things being as similar as possible, not many people go into battle with heated swords and if they do they dont stay hot for long. now it might be part of the healing process but the impression i got was that both they did the healing to the sword after it touched the wound.

Could it be something that was on the sword already having a healing effect? did the oils on it used as an anti rusting agent or actual metals within the sword have benefical properties