Other Common Names: Broadleaf Sage, Common Sage, Dalmatian Sage, Garden Sage, Kitchen Sage, Salvia, Sarubia, Tibbi Adacayi, Salvia officinalis
Range: Britain; Europe; Spain; Turkey; USA
Habitat: Dry banks and stony places, usually in limestone
areas and often where there is very little soil. Requires a very
well-drained light sandy soil in a sunny position.
The name of the genus, Salvia, is derived from the Latin salvere, to
be saved, in reference to the curative properties of the plant, which
was in olden times celebrated as a medicinal herb. This name was
corrupted popularly to Sauja and Sauge (the French form), in Old
English, 'Sawge,' which has become our present-day name of Sage.
In the United States Pharmacopceia, the leaves are still officially
prescribed, as they were formerly in the London Pharmacopceia, but in
Europe generally, Sage is now neglected by the regular medical
practitioner, though is still used in domestic medicine. Among the
Ancients and throughout the Middle Ages it was in high repute.
Many kinds of Sage have been used as substitutes for tea, the
Chinese having been said to prefer Sage Tea to their own native
product, at one time bartering for it with the Dutch and giving thrice
the quantity of their choicest tea in exchange. It is recorded that
George Whitfield, when at Oxford in 1733, lived wholesomely, if
sparingly, on a diet of Sage Tea, sugar and coarse bread. Balsamic
Sage, S. grandiflora, a broad-leaved Sage with many-flowered whorls of
blossoms, used to be preferred to all others for making tea.
Sage has a very long history of effective medicinal use and is an
important domestic herbal remedy for disorders of the digestive system.
Its antiseptic qualities make it an effective gargle for the mouth
where it can heal sore throats, ulcers etc. The leaves applied to an
aching tooth will often relieve the pain.
The whole herb is antihydrotic, antiseptic, antispasmodic,
astringent, carminative, cholagogue, galactofuge, stimulant, tonic and
vasodilator. Sage is also used internally in the treatment of excessive
lactation, night sweats, excessive salivation (as in Parkinson's
disease), profuse perspiration (as in TB), anxiety, depression, female
sterility and menopausal problems. Many herbalists believe that the
purple-leaved forms of this species are more potent medicinally. This
remedy should not be prescribed to pregnant women or to people who have
epileptic fits. The plant is toxic in excess or when taken for extended
periods - though the toxic dose is very large. Externally, it is used
to treat insect bites, skin, throat, mouth and gum infections and
vaginal discharge. The leaves are best harvested before the plant comes
into flower and are dried for later use.
Sage Tea or infusion of Sage is a valuable agent in the delirium of
fevers and in the nervous excitement frequently accompanying brain and
nervous diseases and has considerable reputation as a remedy, given in
small and often-repeated doses. It is highly serviceable as a stimulant
tonic in debility of the stomach and nervous system and weakness of
digestion generally. It was for this reason that the Chinese valued it,
giving it the preference to their own tea. It is considered a useful
medicine in typhoid fever and beneficial in biliousness and liver
complaints, kidney troubles, hemorrhage from the lungs or stomach, for
colds in the head as well as sore throat and quinsy and measles, for
pains in the joints, lethargy and palsy. It will check excessive
perspiration in phthisis cases, and is useful as an emmenagogue. A cup
of the strong infusion will be found good to relieve nervous headache.
The infusion made strong, without the lemons and sugar, is an
excellent lotion for ulcers and to heal raw abrasions of the skin. It
has also been popularly used as an application to the scalp, to darken
the hair.
The essential oil from the plant is used in small doses to remove
heavy collections of mucous from the respiratory organs and mixed in
embrocations for treating rhumatism. In larger doses, however, it can
cause epileptic fits, giddyness etc.
The essential oil is used in aromatherapy. Its keyword is 'Tonic'.
Leaves and flowers - raw or cooked. A very common herb, the strongly
aromatic leaves are used as a flavoring in cooked foods. They are an
aid to digestion and so are often used with heavy, oily foods. They
impart a sausage-like flavor to savoury dishes. The young leaves and
flowers can be eaten raw, boiled, pickled or used in sandwiches. The
flowers can also be sprinkled on salads to add color and fragrance.
The leaves make excellent tooth cleaners, simply rub the top side of
the leaf over the teeth and gums. The purple-leaved form of sage has
tougher leaves and is better for cleaning the teeth. The leaves have
antiseptic properties and can heal diseased gums.
- Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, London. 1995
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