I knew an old New Orleans engraver who used saliva and touched his graver to his tongue!
Only if ingested. One ounce of wintergreen is equal to 171 aspirins, as the active ingredient in it is methly salicylate. So, it's only as toxic as aspirin. In "rare" cases, it can be absorbed due to overuse as a topical analgesic, and many people are allergic to it. Used as a lube, it has insignificant danger.Oil of wintergreen has been used as a lube in the jewelery trade forever. The problem is it's toxic.