heart-balm

[Han Donghoon]

I wonder the exact meaning of heart-balm used in this context, (background:
1910s America)

--
"Before you go, Bland," remarked Magee, smiling, "I want to ask about
Arabella. Where did you get her?"
"Some of it happed to a friend of mine," the ex-haberdasher answered, "a
friend that keeps a clothing store. I got this suit there. I changed the
story, here and there. He didn't write her no note, though he thought
seriously of it. and he didn't run away and hide. The last I seen of him he
was testing the effect of the heart-balm on sale behind the swinging doors."
--
Balm means "any of various aromatic resinous substances used for healing and
soothing"? So heart-balm means the balm rubbed at chest in order to soothe
the heart-break one(Bland's friend) in this context?

Thanks,

Donghoon

[Einde O'Callaghan]

Post by Han Donghoon
1910s America)
--
"Before you go, Bland," remarked Magee, smiling, "I want to ask about
Arabella. Where did you get her?"
"Some of it happed to a friend of mine," the ex-haberdasher answered, "a
friend that keeps a clothing store. I got this suit there. I changed the
story, here and there. He didn't write her no note, though he thought
seriously of it. and he didn't run away and hide. The last I seen of him he
was testing the effect of the heart-balm on sale behind the swinging doors."
--
Balm means "any of various aromatic resinous substances used for healing and
soothing"? So heart-balm means the balm rubbed at chest in order to soothe
the heart-break one(Bland's friend) in this context?

I'm not sure what this reference is to, but American saloons used to
have swinging doors, so I suspect that the heart-balm being spoken of is
alcohol. Balm is is not just an ointment, it can be any soothing agency.
So in this case the man with the broken heart is drowning his sorrows by
getting drunk.

Regrds, Einde O'Callaghan