Canes were long, hand-held rods, constructed of a variety of styles and materials. They were used by several humanoid species, primarily for assisting the elderly to walk. They did, however, frequently conceal other purposes.
Uses
In his first incarnation, the Doctor sometimes carried a cane, which he occasionally used as a weapon. (TV: The Chase, PROSE: The Sons of Grekk)
Ada Gillyflower used a cane to aid her in her blindness. In 1893, she killed Mr Sweet by beating the parasite with the cane repeatedly. (TV: The Crimson Horror)
In 1970s London, the Third Doctor used his cane, which had a built-in laser beam, to fight and destroy an alien which had been sent to assassinate him. (COMIC: Assassin from Space)
In 2007, the Abzorbaloff concealed a limitation field generator within his cane to control his abilities. When Elton Pope destroyed the cane, the Abzorbaloff and his victims died. (TV: Love & Monsters)
In 2009, Staal kept a cane which was capable of firing a laser that could paralyse his enemies. (TV: The Sontaran Stratagem)
In 2009, Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart kept a cane gun which he used to knock out a Bane. (TV: Enemy of the Bane)
In 2050, Drake kept a dragon-headed cane. When tests on an experimental device failed, he used his cybernetic hand to crush the head on his cane in anger. (TV: Sirens of Ceres)
In his eleventh incarnation, the Doctor once used a sonic cane, which was similar, if not identical, in function to his sonic screwdriver. (TV: Let's Kill Hitler)
The elderly curator of the National Gallery in London walked with a cane. (TV: The Day of the Doctor)
Mikhail required the use of a cane in his later years. (PROSE: Reversal of Fortune)