Isetshenzisiwe kusukela emandulo, isage yabhalwa ohlwini lwemithi olusemqulwini i-Ebers Papyrus (yango-1500 BC) njengekhambi lokulapha ukulunywa nabalandeli bakaHippocrates (umelaphi waseGriki owayephila ngabo-40 BC) bayincoma imiphumela yayo ekwelapheni iqaku. Eminye imisebenzi yomdabu yesage ukuyifaka njengesinongo ekuphekeni nokuyenza isichonco sokwelapha isilungulela esisendimeni, umphimbo ovuvukile, ukujuluka kakhulu nokukhohlwa. Ucwaningo lwakamumva zibonisa sengathi isage ingaba yikhambi lesifo i-Alzheimer. Njengenhlama, isetshenziselwa ukubhinyika, ukuvuvuka nokopha. IS. ofinalis ingasetshenziswa ukwelapha izifo ezimbandakanya ukudlikiza, izilonda ezingaphakathi (ulcers), igout, ufehlane, ukulunywa, isiyezi, ukudikiza, ukukhubazeka, isifo sohudo, nomfutho wegazi ophezulu. Kamumva nje, lesi simila sibe yindaba egudwini ocwaningweni olunzulu lokuhlonza imiphumela yobunjalo baso. Okuvunjululiwe kuhlanganisa izithako ezilwa nomdlavuza, ukulunywa, izinhlungu, ukubola, amagciwane, ukuguquka kofuzo, ukukhohlwa, yehlis ukashukela, yehlisa amafutha.
Amafutha esage yentaba, eluhlaza okomkhathi ayakhiqizwa eNingizimu Afrika. Isasasa lawo-nganeno nasemhlabeni-jikelele- liselincane, kodwa liyakhula. Izimila zivunwa seziqhakazile, kusetshenziswa isiqu sonke (sinqunywa ku-20 cm ukusuka ezimpandeni) emva kwalokho bese siphekwa ngomusi. Isage yentaba ewuzul’ucwathile ithanda inhlabathi ene-alkaline, amadwala futhi ikhula ibe-2 m ubude. Ivame ukutshalelwa ukuhlobisa-kufanele igcinwe itheniwe. Isalva africana-caerulea kulula ukuyitshala emhlabathini ohlatshwa yilanga futhi owomile (iyamelana nesithwathwa esisendimeni) itshalwa ngembewu noma ngeziqu ezinqunyiwe. Izithombo (ezitshalwe ngeziqu) zisePorterville eNtshonalanga Kapa.