Sugarcane Bagasse, a name in traditional Chinese medicine. It is the residue left after sugarcane (Saccharum sinensis Roxb.), a plant of the Poaceae family, has been pressed to extract its sugar juice; sugarcane is commonly cultivated throughout southern China. It has the efficacy of clearing heat and detoxifying. It is used to treat alopecia, boils, and carbuncles.
Sugarcane Bagasse
Sugarcane Bagasse, a name in traditional Chinese medicine. It is the residue left after sugarcane (Saccharum sinensis Roxb.), a plant of the Poaceae family, has been pressed to extract its sugar juice; sugarcane is commonly cultivated throughout southern China. It has the efficacy of clearing heat and detoxifying. It is used to treat alopecia, boils, and carbuncles.
Chinese Name : 甘蔗滓
Nature, Flavor & Meridian Tropism : Sweet, cold. Enters the Heart and Liver meridians
Benefits & Efficacy
Benefits
Clears heat and detoxifies.
Indications
Used for alopecia, abscesses, and carbuncles.
Usage and Dosage
External use: Apply an appropriate amount; calcine until charred, grind into a powder, and sprinkle or mix with a carrier for application.
Precautions
*Compendium of Materia Medica*: “Do not let the smoke from burning it enter the eyes; it can restore vision.”
Relevant Discussions
*Supplements to the Compendium of Materia Medica*: “The entry on sugarcane in *Compendium of Materia Medica* specifically mentions ‘Binhu Special Supplementary Sugarcane Pulp,’ noting that it treats alopecia in children; however, it states that the smoke, if it enters the eyes, causes blindness, and other details are not fully covered. This text now expands upon it.”Min’s Note: There are several varieties of sugarcane; the purple-skinned variety is Kunlun sugarcane; the green-skinned variety is Fufeng sugarcane… When used medicinally as residue, the residue from green-skinned sugarcane is considered superior.”
Applications
Related Compatibility
1. To treat alopecia in children: Burn sugarcane bagasse until charred, grind into a fine powder, mix with Chinese hackberry oil, and apply frequently until cured. (*Compendium of Materia Medica*)
2. To treat malignant sores on the back and promote wound closure and tissue regeneration: Sun-dry sugarcane pulp, calcine it until charred, grind it into a very fine powder, sift the powder, and fill the ulcer cavity with it; cover with an ointment plaster. (*Rescuing Life from the Sea of Suffering*)
3. For treating carbuncles: Sun-dry sugarcane pulp, burn it with genuine sesame oil until it turns to ash, mix the ash with saliva to form a paste, and apply it to the affected area using a silver hairpin to puncture the skin. Adding pearl oil and rouge to the mixture enhances the efficacy. (*Supplement to the Compendium of Materia Medica*)
Processing & Preparation
Harvesting & Processing
Harvest sugarcane in autumn or winter; remove the leaves and roots, extract the sugar juice, and sun-dry the residue.
Crude Drug Identification
Botanical Information
Botanical Classification
Sugarcane, a plant of the Poaceae family.
Morphological Characteristics
Sugarcane is a perennial herb. The culm is approximately 3 m tall and 2–5 cm in diameter, green or reddish-brown in color, with white, thread-like hairs below the inflorescence.Leaf sheaths are longer than the internodes, glabrous, with hairs only at the sheath mouth; the ligule is membranous, truncate, and approximately 2 mm long; the leaf blade is flat, glabrous on both surfaces, with a thick, white midrib, 40–80 cm long, and approximately 20 mm wide. The inflorescence is large, up to 60 cm long, with the main axis bearing white filamentous hairs;the internodes of the rachis are 7–12 mm long, with sparse, long cilia along the margins; the sessile spikelets are lanceolate, 4.5–5 mm long, with filamentous hairs on the base that are 2–3 times longer than the spikelet; the upper part of the glumes is membranous, with small cilia along the margins; the first glume is slightly blunt at the apex, with 2 ridges and 4 veins; the second glume is navicular, with 3 veins and an acuminate apex;The first lemma is oblong-lanceolate, with one vein and an acute apex; the second lemma is narrowed to a linear shape, approximately 3 mm long; the second palea is lanceolate, approximately 2 mm long. Stalked spikelets resemble sessile spikelets; the spikelet pedicel is 3–4 mm long, glabrous, and slightly swollen at the apex. Flowering and fruiting occur in autumn.
Distribution Area
It is a common cultivated plant throughout southern China.