Definitions
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun The knee-cap of a sheep: so named because it was considered a charm against cramp.
Etymologies
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Examples
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Another and very common charm resorted to for the cure of this painful disorder, consists in the wearing about the person the patella of a sheep or lamb, here known as the "cramp-bone."
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The cramp-bone is a delicacy, and is obtained by cutting down to the bone at 4, and running the knife under it in a semicircular direction to 3.
The Whitehouse Cookbook (1887) The Whole Comprising a Comprehensive Cyclopedia of Information for the Home Mrs. F.L. Gillette
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The knee-cap bone, or patella, of a sheep, known locally as the "cramp-bone," is worn in Northamptonshire for a like purpose; also the application of a gold wedding ring (first wetted with saliva, an ingredient in the holy salve of the Saxons), to a stye threatened in an eyelid is often found to disperse the swelling; but in this case [516] it may be, that a sulphocyanide of gold is formed with the spittle, which promotes the cure by absorption.
Herbal Simples Approved for Modern Uses of Cure William Thomas Fernie
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