151
complete intelligence. The violent fit for which
I was called in lasted a week or ten days. I
don't know for certain how long the lucid in-
tervals lasted. I attended him for four or five days
after I was called in. The attack was not over
when I ceased to attend him. I was told the fit
lasted eight or ten days, and I don't know how
long the subsequent lucid interval lasted, or how
many attacks he has had since. I have seen him
again when attending members of the family.
There are still lucid intervals. I attribute the
insanity to ganja, on the information of his
friends that he smoked the drug, and because
there was no other cause apparent. He smoked
with people in the mahalla, not with low fellows
of the bazar. His companions were given to
vices of various sorts, sexual as well as other. I
don't know of their taking alcohol.
One of
these companions was of the priestly class. It is
as likely as not that the company indulged in
dhatura, for the priestly class do take that drug.
I don't know how long he was leading a loose
life before he went mad. These are the only two
cases of which I know the details. The last man
must have become mad about the age of 21,
I have hardly had any experience of insanity
cases. I have seen very few. To ascertain the
cause of insanity, family history, and the insane's
previous habits and history, must be enquired into.
In both these cases I took care by special enquiry
to exclude causes such as injury, sudden grief,
fright, or other kinds of mental shock, besides
enquiring into the family history. I do not know
of any special symptoms in insanity caused by
hemp drugs.
Question 57.—Dhatura is one of the drugs
with which the hemp drugs are adulterated by
the contractors. An infusion of dhatura is sprinkled
on the leaves of bhang, and ganja is soaked in
it and dried. I know of no other kind of adultera-
tion. I have been told of this adulteration with
dhatura more than once. I heard of it in Allaha-
bad, and it must exist here.
104 Evidence of ASSISTANT SURGEON HAM LAL, Kayasth, Aligarh.
1. My professional knowledge, personal ac-
quaintance with the persons who use hemp drugs,
and my personal experience and information
gathered from the consumers of these drugs have
enabled me to frame my answers.
2. Some of these definitions and names are
known in these provinces.
Hemp leaves or dry leaves of the hemp plant
are called by the following names:—bhang, sabzi,
siddhi and bijia.
Charas is the resinous exudation from the hemp
plant, and is known by the names of charas and
sulfa.
Ganja is the name applied to the dried flowering
tops of the plant; is called by the name of ganja;
the varieties of ganja are not known to me.
19. Yes.
23. No.
28. Average allowance—
Bhang—
(a 2½ tolas or 1 oz.
(b) 5 tolas or 2 oz.
Charas—
(a) 6 mashas or 1½ drachm
(b) 2 tolas or 6 drachms
Cost per diem.
. 3 pies.
. 6 pies.
. 1 anna.
. 4 annas.
Ganja is not generally used in this district, and
hence no information can be given as regards
ganja.
29. Bhang when used is mixed with black pepper,
with or without sugar and milk; it is often used
with thandai, which consists of fennel fruits,
liquorice, rose petals, melon seeds, poppy seeds
and almonds ordinarily. This form is generally
used in summer; the object of this admixture is
a cooling draught. Black pepper, sugar and milk
are mixed with bhang to make it more palatable.
Ganja and charas are ordinarily used with tobacco.
In exceptional cases bhang is used with other
medicinal substances, as kewra, saffron, carda-
moms and ajwain, It is also used in the form
of majum, which consists of bhang, almonds,
pistachio-nuts and cocoanuts. Dhatura is some-
times used with bhang, sugar, ghi, charas and
ganja for criminal purposes; opium, nux vomica,
cantharides, or betul-nuts are not known to me to
be mixed with any of the hemp drugs. I do not
know of any preparation as bhang massala.
Thandai is perhaps called bhang massala in other
provinces.
30. The three drugs are mostly used in company,
especially charas and ganja, as one chillum of
charas or ganja suffices for three or four persons.
The percentage of persons who use in company
may be roughly taken as follows: bhang 70
per cent., ganja and charas 90 per cent. The
consumption of bhang is mainly confined to
the male sex, especially adults, and to prostitutes.
It is not usual for children to use bhang. Ganja
and charas are used by males and by prostitutes
only. I have not heard or seen children using
them; by children I mean persons under 12 years
of age.
31. Yes.
32. There is no religious custom in regard to
the consumption of hemp drugs. It is a social
custom among Brahmans, Banias, and to a small
extent in some other classes, to use bhang on certain
occasions, as Holi, which is a Hindu festival cele-
brated every year. The consumption of bhang is
not essential on such occasion. It is generally
excessive, but is not likely to lead to the forma-
tion of habit or otherwise injurious.
36. There is no reason to think that alcohol is
being substituted for hemp drugs.
37. Charas-smoking is more effective and im-
mediate in its action than ganja-smoking. Bhang-
drinking is slow in its effects, but more durable
than the other two.
39. Bhang-drinking or eating is less injurious
than ganja or charas-smoking; it is said that
charas and ganja are liable to produce insanity,
and I have seen a few cases in my hospital
practice which were attributed to the charas and
ganja-smoking.
I have seen many bhang con-
sumers, but never known one of them who may
have become an insane. Bhang may or may not
produce insanity, of which I am not certain.
Moderate consumers of bhang are often very