Nervine

A nerve tonic, a medicine that acts therapeutically upon the nerves, particularly in the sense of a sedative that serves to calm ruffled nerves.

The word nervine comes from the Latin nervinus, belonging to a sinew.

Nervine travelled across the Channel from France to 17th-century England.

There it was first applied to the sinews.

That is not illogical because the Latin nervinus derives from nervus meaning 'a sinew, tendon, thong, string (as a bowstring), or wire.' In ancient anatomy the Romans (and Greeks) did not distinguish between and tendons and nerves.

The name 'nervus' referred to any white cordlike structure, whether it be a band of connective tissue or a fiber in the nervous system.

(I must admit I did not know the word 'nervine' myself.

I came upon it in a diabolically difficult Saturday New York Times crossword -- they get progressively harder fro Monday to Saturday.

The clue was 'Soothing medicine.' There were 7 spaces to be filled.

The answer proved to be NERVINE.

I found it was not in most standard desktop dictionaries nor in many medical dictionaries.

-- Editor)