Sugar cane is another plant found in the back gardens of some homes and now grown in large plantations. There are two varieties - the yellow and the black. The black variety has a lower sugar content and a higher mineral content than the yellow. Sugar cane is considered indigenous to Sri Lanka, and is the type used in medicine. Equal quantities of the juice of sugar cane and king coconut water with a little gingelly oil is given to pregnant mothers to induce pains even now in certain rural areas. Copious quantities of sugar cane should be given to patients with chicken pox, measles and like diseases which are accompanied by high fever.In cases of continued fever, except enteric fever, a drink made from sugar cane syrup, king coconut water and powdered Bulu seeds keeps the patient comfortable. Sugarcane is also the chief ingredient for a decoction for bleeding piles when used in combination with kooratampala and the yam of the ash plantain tree.
