The doctor told him to apply ointment to the wound.
Tips
usage
搽 is used specifically for applying substances to the skin or surface: cream, powder, medicine. It is common in southern Chinese speech and Hong Kong Cantonese-influenced Mandarin. In northern Mandarin, 涂 is more commonly used for the same action.
Hand radical on the left — the side-form of 手. It puts 搽 in the manual-action family with 抹 wipe, 擦 rub, 涂 smear. The action of applying cream or ointment is performed by hand, which is exactly what this radical contributes.
Right side 茶 supplies the chá sound exactly. The 'tea' meaning is dormant here — 搽 inherits only the reading. A useful memory hook though: applying ointment with a fingertip can feel like brushing on a thin coat of tea, even if the etymology is sound-only.
