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177. Evidence of JAGANNATH MISRA, Native Physician, Budaon City.
1. I have in my practice as native hakim fre-
quent intercourse with different sorts of people
both in and out of the town, and have studied
several works on treatment of drugs, etc.
2. Yes. The definitions are accepted here
Bhang is known as siddhi, bijya, and subzi. Cha-
ras is called charas, but has two species, one being
styled as charas Bokhara, and the other as charas
Yarkand. Ganja is known as murra, chur, pa-
thari, and baluchar.
3. In the damp districts of Terai, in Tahsil
Baheri, District Bareilly, in Gorakhpur, and in
Tashil Damaryaganj, District Basti, in Bansi, in
Bengal, and in Cashmere the plant grows spon-
taneously.
4. The hemp as such is called here san or patsan,
and is quite a separate species from the hemp pro-
ducing bhang, charas, or ganja. The hemp is
cultivated in those parts with a view to obtain fib-
res for cordage, etc., and is a great article of
commerce. It is not of spontaneous growth.
5. Damp and moist soil is essential for its spon-
taneous growth.
6. It. is ordinarily scattered.
7. (a), (b), and (c) No. (d) Yes, almost
throughout the district.
8. No increase or decrease has taken place as
far as I know.
10. There are no cultivators here of hemp for
its narcotic properties. They grow it simply for
its fibre or seeds, and are therefore classed as ordi-
nary agricultural cultivators.
11. Very rarely, and that too by some of the
mendicants or ascetics round their hermitage.
12. Nowhere.
13. For the purpose of fibres and seeds the
cultivation is not restricted. As for ganja it is
restricted to hermitages, etc., as 1 expressed in
question 11. The cultivation is not general,
though the kind of soil for the production of gan-
ja is required to be damp, as explained in question
No. 5. Its cultivation is quite impossible in
sandy places and deserts.
14. They are imported, not prepared in the
district.
15. Ganja is rubbed well by the thumb of the
hand before it is mixed with tobacco for smoking.
The charas is not rubbed, but only mixed with
tobacco for smoking. The bhang is used for
drinking ; it is first ground well, and then strained
mixed with water, milk, sugar, pepper, and ani-
seed. It is also eaten prepared thus : A seer of
bhang mixed with four chattacks of ghi is boiled
down. When well boiled it is kept for cooling,
and the water is thrown away after the drug is
deposited underneath. Subsequently in a chattack
of this sediment two seers of syrup is mixed and a
confection prepared. Sometimes instead of water
milk is used for boiling down the bhang. On
occasions bhang is eaten pure mixed only with
sugar.
16. Bhang is generally prepared at home, but
all bhang, ganja, and charas can be prepared from
wild plant wherever grown.
17. By all classes of people.
18. Yes ; they deteriorate by keeping, and in time
lose their effect. In the ordinary way, however,
bhang and ganja can be preserved for a year, and
charas for three years. The causes of deteriora-
tion in ganja and bhang are dampness, and in
charas loss of moisture. To prevent deterioration
it is necessary that bhang and ganja be kept dry
and charas moist.
19. Ganja and charas are used only in smoking,
but I have seen recorded in a book that a kind of
confection called maju shirza jani is prepared with
essence of bhang mixed with charas in the Deccan.
This confection even in a small quantity is a reme-
dy for impotency.
20. Both the drugs are largely used by the bai-
ragis of Ajodhya, the gossains of Jwalaji in
Kangra Valley, and about all the mendicants,
Hindus and Musalmans, in all parts of India.
Most of the people other than those also consume
them ; for instance, in Tahsil Dataganj, District
Budaon, men and women both commonly use
them.
21. In this district and its vicinity murra and
chur are mostly used, but preference is given to
baluchar, which is very scarce in these parts. In
Bengal the last named is generally used, and
abundantly obtained.
22. Foreign is chiefly used, and is imported
from Kabul, Bokhara and Yarkand, and that im-
ported from Yarkand is preferred.
23. Never.
24. The Brahmans, specially chaubes, almost
throughout the division of Agra eat and drink
bhang at large. The number of chaubes in
Muthra and Mainpuri using the drug amounts to
about 75 per cent. It is mostly consumed even
in Kashganj and Sorau in Etah, and is sparingly
used in almost all parts by almost all kinds of the
Hindu community.
25. The use of charas is on the increase. Even
the female sex has taken to its use, especially
among the Rajputs and Ahirs. It is mostly used
in Dataganj, Besouli, and Gonnour in the Budaon
District.
27. Bhang and charas are used by the high and
low both, but ganja only by the lower people.
Idle and vicious habits and the society of the con-
sumers of these drugs lead to the practice.
29. Pepper is generally mixed with bhang, but
often aniseed is also combined. Dhatura is very
rarely mixed with a view to make the beverage
strong or to do harm to the consumer. With
ganja nothing is mixed. But with charas the
contractors mix linseed oil and honey for keeping
it moist.
30. Bhang is mostly taken in solitude, but gan-
ja and charas in company. The use is confined to
the male sex chiefly in old age for stimulant
qualities ; but women are also not quite exempt.
Children never use the drugs.
31. The habit is easily formed. To break it off
is also not difficult. There is always a tendency
towards excess, for moderation in any of the in-
toxicating drugs is never possible.
32. No customs require the use of the drugs,
but some of the Sivites offer bhang in the wor-
ship of Siva, though religiously it is not essential.
If it is ever used on such occasions, its use is tem-
perate, and it cannot lead to formation of habits.