18
Suspected Ganja.
(1). Sadasheo.—This man was stated on the 23rd August to be quite
insane; he tore up his clothes, painted his body with lime from the walls, and
gave much trouble. On discharge from the jail he was sent to the Asylum.
On the 25th August it was reported that he talked rationally but could not be
prevented from tearing up his clothes. In November, he was still in the cells
and had to be carefully watched. This man is suffering from mania, and I
do not think there is any likelihood of his ever getting well. I do not think
his insanity is due to ganja,
(2). Bhaia Lall.—Very little is known of this man. He was found wander-
ing about Jubbulpore, assaulting little children, and entering people's houses,
and making himself a public nuisance. He is violent and troublesome; goes
naked, and talks right and day in an incoherent manner; tears his clothes,
and is very abusive, using filthy language ; sleepless. On the 30th August he
was much improved and was fit to associate with the other inmates. He states
he left home with a pony, and lost it; and fearing the anger of his father, he
smoked ganja. In November there was slight improvement, he cried when
spoken to. I do not think this man will ever get well, and that his insanity is not
due to ganja.
(3). Moti.—On the 29th August he was admitted into the Asylum. The
Police report that he was employed on the Katni lime works, and on the 10th
August he became insane, was found incoherent, restless and unable to give
an account of himself; refused food and had to be fed. On the 30th August
he was much improved ; gave a coherent account of everything up to the time
of his going "pagal". He says he ate some goor and went mad on November
6th. He is much improved, obedient, eats and sleeps well. This is a doubtful
case, but I fear he will never be fit for discharge, and I do not think he should
be classed under toxic insanity.
(4). Nerbada Pershad.—Toxic insanity, described in Statement No. VI.
(5). Dasaia.—Very little is known of this man. On the 13th September he
was suffering from delusions, could not remember his own or his parents' names;
complained of not getting enough to eat; tears his clothes. He admits smoking
ganja, but says he was insane when at home. This man is suffering from
dementia, and I do not consider it is due to ganja.
(6). Murat Bania.— Mentioned in Statement VI.
(7). Muthra Pershad.—On the 13th March he looked wild, talked inco-
herently, made great noises at night, sleepless, and quarrelsome and dirty in his
habits. He assaulted women, and those who came to their assistance. He had
previously been in jail for assaulting a female. In April he had improved ;
takes food and sleeps well; says he smoked ganja, and that was the cause of his
insanity. In November there was very little improvement.
I do not quite know what is meant by toxic insanity. I can understand
that an excess of anything will cause a temporary maniacal excitement, but
this is not toxic insanity. I can also understand that a man with a weak brain
can, with any exciting cause, be thrown off his balance and become insane. If
this man had taken ganja, bhang, charas, opium, drink—or bad had a shock—the
result would have been the same; and therefore I think toxic insanity should
only be applied to those cases of temporary mania which should not be called
insanity at all.
STATEMENT VIII.
This shows the sickness and mortality for the whole Asylum and not for
those only admitted during the year. The admissions were 122 (111 males, 11
females) against 94 (88 males 6 females) in 1893, and deaths 15 (13 males, 2
females) against 11 in 1893. There were 52 admissions from fevers, and 25
from influenza; and the highest mortality was from influenza. Omitting
influenza, the admissions from bronchial affections were 5, dysentery 3,
diarrhœa 4.