Sage

"We are happier in many ages when we are old, than when we are young. The young sow wild oats, the old grow sage!" (Winston Churchill). That's a lovely play on words, and I hope we all do grow sage, for it is an amazing herb and is one of the greatest tonics and curative herbs. It is useful for health purposes, including sleep, gargles, breath cleansing, fever, rough skin, sprains, as a mild diuretic, as part of an antiinfection vinegar wash, to cleanse the smell of a sickroom, to help heal leg ulcers, as an antiseptic, and as a tea to lift mild depression. No wonder it means "to save," in Latin. It is one of my panacea herbs.

Depression Drink sage tea to lift a down mood. If available, add a pinch of bruised cloves and a pinch of pure ginseng powder (another antidepression herb).

Breath Rub the sage leaves across the teeth to cleanse them and give a sweet smell to the breath, as many Arabs, American Indians, and Far Eastern Indians do.

Fever The American Indians used sage tea rubdowns and sage baths, and this antifever remedy seems to exist all over the world. I sometimes like to combine apple cider vinegar and sage tea for reduction of fever and to make the patient simply feel better.

Give the patient lots of sage tea to drink. Lemon juice and honey may be added in small amounts if desired. Hot sage tea will produce slight perspiration, and this is useful in helping to reduce fever. Make sure to sponge the body with cold water friction sectional rubs that allow only one part of the body to be exposed at a time.

Antiseptic Chew sage leaves to cleanse the system of impurities. Prepare a strong sage tea to cleanse the sickroomthis is quite helpful when children are ill. Sage is one of the antiseptic herbs in the Vinegar of the Four Thieves.

Gargle Add a few sage leaves to plain water, or add five sage leaves to a glass of leftover white or red wine. Several longerlasting sage and other herbal gargles are mentioned in other parts of this book. Sleep

Sage was always part of my grandmother's "sleep" jar. She combined several aromatic and sleep inducing herbs, including peppermint, chamomile, skullcap, bruised cloves, rose hips, and linden.

Stomach Troubles Use cold sage tea.

Flu Kunzle used sage, wormwood, licorice root, and alpine speedwell (a handful of each) in his famous antiflu remedy. He suggests its use before and during epidemics and to hasten healing during a flu attack.

Pleurisy Combine a handful of sage leaves and corn silk to strengthen the kidneys and expel water from the system. If you like, you may add a pinch of rue leaves to quicken the blood circulation.

Varicose Veins, Ulcers on the Legs Apply hot sage compresses, use sage washes on the leg, and take frequent sage footbaths.