The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Salve \Salve\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Salved; p. pr. & vb. n.
   Salving.] [AS. sealfian to anoint. See Salve, n.]
   1. To heal by applications or medicaments; to cure by
      remedial treatment; to apply salve to; as, to salve a
      wound. --Shak.
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   2. To heal; to remedy; to cure; to make good; to soothe, as
      with an ointment, especially by some device, trick, or
      quibble; to gloss over.
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            But Ebranck salved both their infamies
            With noble deeds.                     --Spenser.
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            What may we do, then, to salve this seeming
            inconsistence?                        --Milton.
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WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

salving
    adj 1: having a softening or soothing effect especially to the
           skin [syn: demulcent, emollient, salving,
           softening]