240
30. Bhang is generally consumed in company.
About one-third of the consumers will practise it
in solitude and two-thirds in company. Ganja
and charas are not consumed in solitude. It is
mainly confined to the male sex, though females
are no exception. The proportion will be about
1 in 100. There is no restriction about age.
Children of about 10 or 11 years will consume
bhang, but not charas or ganja. But it is not
usual for children.
31. The habit is easily formed, and, when once
formed, it is difficult to break off. In most of the
moderate consumers there is no tendency to
develop into excessive. Few only go to excess.
32. 1 am not aware of any special custom,
social or religious, in regard to the consumption
of these drugs, except that in Holi festival bhang
is taken by more people and in greater quantity.
36. I have not seen any instance in which
people have taken to alcohol as a substitute for
these drugs.
37. Ganja-smoke is less injurious than charas.
Effect of bhang drinking is milder than either
ganja or charas. The intoxicating effect of bhang
sets in later than that of ganja or charas.
39. I have no experience about this question.
40. Bhang is used for chronic dysentery,
diarrhoea, and indigestion; also to check profuse
perspiration, when bhang leaves are used as
fomentation as an anodyne application mixed with
oil. Cows, buffaloes, bullocks, are given bhang
mixed with salt to increase their appetite and to
keep the bowels clear.
"Bhanga kafahari tikta grahimi madini guru."
"Tikhuosna pittala mohamada bak-bahnibar-
dhini."
Bhang is beneficial in cough. It is bitter, con-
stipating, intoxicating, and increasing bile and
appetite.
41. Moderate dose of bhang has beneficial effect
as food accessory or digestive. It gives staying-
power under severe exertion and alleviates fatigue.
It also acts as febrifuge in fever, which comes on
with shivering and cold.
Ganja and charas in moderate doses has no
beneficial effect as food accessory or digestive.
But it gives staying-power under severe exertion
or exposure, and alleviates fatigue. It does not
act as febrifuge.
42. Charas, even in moderate dose, is injurious.
Charas-smoker is thin and emaciated, and will
suffer from bronchitis.
44. The immediate effect of the moderate use
of bhang in a habitual consumer is that it gives
him refreshment. He feels happy. It exhilarates
his spirit. Intoxication is very slight. It creates
appetite. The effect lasts for about six hours.
With moderate dose there is no after-effect, In a
habitual consumer of bhang the want of subse-
quent gratification does not produce any longing
or uneasiness.
The immediate effect of charas and ganja in
moderate dose is that they produce intoxicatica
rapidly. They do not create appetite. The effect
lasts for about three hours. There are no after-
effects. Want of subsequent gratification pro-
duces uneasiness.
45. Habitual moderate use of bhang has no
noxious effect on constitution. It does not injure
digestion, but increases appetite. It does not
cause dysentery, bronchitis or asthma. It does not
impair moral sense, or induce laziness or habits of
immorality or debauchery. It does not deaden
intellect or produce insanity.
Moderate dose of ganja and charas has noxious
effects on constitution. It injures digestion. It
causes dysentery, bronchitis or asthma. It does
not impair moral sense, or induce laziness or habits
of immorality, &c. It does not deaden intellect
or produce insanity. It is beneficial that, with a
moderate dose, they can bear exposure to cold.
46. Excessive dose of bhang is noxious. It
produces stupor and uneasiness. It does not
impair digestion, but increases it. It does not
cause dysentery, but causes bronchitis and asthma.
It impairs moral sense and induces laziness. It
weakens the intellect. It does not cause insanity.
Excessive dose of charas and ganja emaciates the
body, impairs digestion, causes dysentery and
bronchitis and asthma. Impairs moral sense and
induces laziness. It deadens intellect. I have
heard of cases of insanity caused by excessive
ganja and charas. But I have not seen them.
47. Moderate use of these drugs has no here-
ditary tendency.
48. Excessive dose of these drugs has no here-
ditary tendency.
49. Moderate use of any of these drugs arc not
practised as aphrodisiac.
50. Excessive dose of hemp drugs are not used
as aphrodisiac. They produce impotence.
56. Effect of bhang is not modified by the
admixture of black pepper, &c., which are mixed
with it. They are used simply with a view to
make it palatable. The same may be said of
excessive dose of bhang.
Tobacco is mixed with charas and ganja to
modify its irritating smoke. Dhaiura is only
mixed with bhang to increase the intoxicating
power of bhang. It is mixed occasionally, such as
the Shivratri festival.
172. Evidence of HAKIM SAKHAWAT ALI, Sayid, Yunani Physician, Agra.
1. About fifteen years' experience in practice
in Agra.
19. Ganja and charas are only smoked. To-
bacco is first placed in the chillum, and ganja or
charas placed above.
20. Ganja—specially bairagis and jogis.
Charas—fakirs, takiadars, coolies, labourers, etc.
22. Foreign charas is mainly used,
23. Bhang is never smoked.
24. Baniyas, Chaube Brahmans are the largest
consumers.
25. So far as I know, the use of any of these
drugs is neither increasing nor decreasing.
30. Charas and ganja are always consumed in
company, if possible. Bhang is frequently con-
sumed in solitude. Women are consumers to a
very limited extent ; children, practically never.
31. The habit is easily formed and difficult to
break off. The moderate use leads to excessive
use in time.
32. Chaubes, bairagis and Brahmans specially use
bhang as a religious exercise. Many take it thus
daily, others at Holi time. This use is moderate.