I had a pharmacology prof who told me that the peppermint
in heartburn tablets acted as a "carminative" - to give relief by making the patient "sing" (carmen) in musical burps.
Alas, the etymology is not as explicit as I could wish.
" Pharmacists familiar with the adjective carminative to describe a stomach warming. anti-flatulent medicine will realise that it does not have to be coloured red when it is seen that the root is from carminare, L., to heal by incantation. Though one wonders if the incanter was made more imposing if red dye had been applied to body or robes, or if he became red-faced during the incantation!'