The peasants of Russian Esthonia are aware of the potency of salt against witches and their craft. They believe that on St. John’s Eve witch-butter is maliciously smeared on the doors of their farm-buildings in order to spread sickness among the cattle. When, therefore, an Esthonian farmer finds this obnoxious butter on his barn-door or elsewhere, he loads his gun with salt and shoots the witch-germs away.[262] The Hindus have a theory that malignant spirits, or _Bhúts_, are especially prone to molest women and children immediately after the latter have eaten confectionery and other sweet delicacies. Indeed, so general is this belief that vendors of sweetmeats among school-children provide their youthful customers each with a pinch of salt to remove the sweet taste from their mouths, and thus afford a safeguard against the ever-watchful _Bhúts_.[263] III. THE LATIN WORD “SAL” Owing to the importance of salt as a relish, its Latin name _sal_ came to be used metaphorically as signifying a savory mental morsel, and, in a general sense, wit or sarcasm.[264] It was formerly maintained by some etymologists that this word had a threefold meaning according to its gender. Thus, when masculine, it has the above signification, but when feminine it means _the sea_, and only when neuter does it stand for common salt. The characterization of Greece as “the salt of nations” is attributed to Livy, and this is probably the origin of the phrase “Attic salt,” meaning delicate, refined wit. The phrase _cum grano salis_ may signify the grain of common sense with which one should receive a seemingly exaggerated report. It may also mean moderation, even as salt is used sparingly as a seasoner of food. Among the ancients, as with ourselves, _Sol_ and _sal_, the Sun and salt, were known to be two things essential to the maintenance of life. Soldiers, officials, and working people were paid either wholly or in part in salt,[265] which was in such general use for this purpose that any sum of money paid for labor or service of whatever kind was termed a _salarium_, or salary, that is, the wherewithal to obtain one’s salt.[266] Pliny remarked that salt was essential for the complete enjoyment of life, and in confirmation of this statement he commented on the fact that the word _sales_ was employed to express the pleasures of the mind, or a keen appreciation of witty effusions, and, therefore, was associated with the idea of good fellowship and mirth.[267]