apply this medicine

[angliholic]

To prevent the wound from becoming infected, apply this medicine and then keep it dry.


As I have only heard "apply this ointment on the wound" but not "apply this medicine," I wonder if it sounds right.

[Anglika]

What was the "medicine" ?

[angliholic]

Originally Posted by Anglika

What was the "medicine" ?

Thank you, Anglika.
This is a stand-alone example from a textbook; there is no further context.

so, do you think it sounds right?

[Anglika]

No.

You could apply "medication" or "salve" or "ointment". Medicine is usually regarded as a preparation that is ingested.

[2006]

The sentence is absolutely fine by me. No where does it say that medicine can only be ingested. Medicine is anything that contains 'medicinal ingredients'.

medicine: a substance or preparation used in treating disease.

[Anglika]

Dictionaries do so vary : this is what mine has

2 a drug or other preparation taken by mouth in order to treat or prevent disease.

[2006]

Really? I'm surprised to hear that; that's certainly not the usage in North America.

[angliholic]

Originally Posted by 2006

The sentence is absolutely fine by me. No where does it say that medicine can only be ingested. Medicine is anything that contains 'medicinal ingredients'.

medicine: a substance or preparation used in treating disease.

By the way, usually I have the impression that it should be "The sentence is fine with me." What on earth is it? By me or with me?

[Noego]

The sentence is absolutely fine by me

I would also say "fine by me".

My humble opinion:

medicine (from Cambridge Advanced Learner's dictionary):

"a substance, especially in the form of a liquid or a pill, which is a treatment for illness or injury"

medicine: (Collins COBUILD)

"Medicine is a substance that you drink or swallow in order to cure an illness."

I'm gonna have to take sides with Anglika on that one.

This being said, Google does give quite a few examples of "applying a medicine" to a wound or something similar.

A tough one.