195
It was tried in two cases by me. In one case I
it was given to relieve him from mental anxiety
and procure sleep, and in the other to one habituat-
ed to it. Both of them tended to indulgence in
it.
46. When it is used excessively and habitually
the symptoms, as described above, go from bad
to worse, producing catalepsy or stupor, melan-
cholin, or dementia of a confirmed sort.
47. Yes, the habitual moderate use of any of
these drugs in some cases shows hereditary habit,
and affects their children by producing idiotcy or
imbecility in them, and a tendency to use these
drugs. People of Garhwal district make much
use of ganja and charas, and most of them are
idiotic and hereditary consumers of them and
bhang.
48. The excessive habitual use of any of them
shows the same tendency in a stronger and exag-
gerated form, as is seen in the case of Chaubes of
Muttra, who use bhang extensively.
49. Yes, people make use of these, or any of
these drugs in moderate doses to produce aphro-
disia. Prostitutes never use it for this purpose.
The use of any of these drugs for this purpose
proves more injurious than its use as an ordinary
narcotic. Ganja and charas produce their effects
on the nervous system directly, and produce
injurious effects by excessive amount of heat
which they cause, and by their impairing the
digestive and circulatory organs and the brain.
When the man becomes anæmic or weak, his
circulation becomes languid and does not supply
proper and sufficient amount of blood to the sexual
organs, and being denied of nutriment matter,
does not nourish the body in general, and thus
produces impotence. The semen becomes thin ; its
spermatozoids languid and unable to move about
in amœbaidform, thus rendering the semen sterile
and unfit for conception, and as it is produced or
secreted in deficient quantity, it does not cause
ordinary amount of sexual desire.
Bhang produces too much semen in the com-
mencement, and by its drawing in unusual amount
causes exhaustion and debility in the end.
50. The excessive use of any of them produces
the same effects as in the case of excessive habi-
tual consumers, but in worst forms.
51. Most of the bad characters are habitual
moderate consumers of any of these drugs.
Charas and ganja are expensive things to be
used for the poor people. Bhang is cheaper, com-
paratively, than the other two ; but all require good,
rich foods to be taken subsequent to their use, speci-
ally milk and its preparation, and sweetmeats in
general, to appease the heating and dry sensation
felt after its use. When they cannot afford to
bear these heavy expenses (as most of them receive
only from two to three annas a day, with which
they have to support their wife, children, and
perhaps father or mother, etc.) they become
inclined to gamble, and when they fail in this, they
commit robbery and theft, etc.
52. Those who use any of them in excess totally
ruin themselves sooner, as explained above.
53. Yes, excessive indulgence in any of them
causes unpremeditated crime, violent or otherwise.
I know many in which it has led to temporary
homicidal frenzy.
Yes, criminals generally, who are addicted to
any of these drugs, fortify themselves by using it
before committing a premeditated act of violence
or other crime; but not otherwise.
55. Yes, criminals, in order to further their
designs, induce their victims to partake of any of
these drugs, and so stupefy them by giving it in
larger doses or mixing with it other substances,
as dhatura, which is the most common article used
for this purpose in order to produce complete
stupefaction; and they are generally successful in
their efforts.
56. Charas and ganja, as a rule, are always
mixed with dry tobacco leaves and smoked with
smoking tobacco to modify their effects for person-
al use. Opium is sometimes used by some, with
either of them for personal use, to increase or
intensify their effects. Dhatura is mixed with
ganja, or charas, or bhang, with criminal intents
only.
Old charas, which becomes deteriorated, is mixed
for sale purposes as renewed with madar milk or
juice or Alotropis gigantia.
57. Ganja and charas are never eaten or drunk
in our provinces. But they are sometimes given
internally with other vegetables along with food
to cause stupefaction by professional robbers and
criminals.
58. The excise administration in respect of
hemp drug seems to be working well. I do not
think it capable of improvement, excepting on
one or two points, to be pointed out hereafter.
59. The excise department should get ganja
and charas and bhang directly and give it to the
contractor or licensed vendor for sale daily or
weekly, and this sale by the licensed vendor
should be scrutinized every now and then by the
officers of the department, and the licensed vendor
should not be authorised to give sub-con tracts;
but the sub-contracts should also be given by the
department, and annually, not for more than one
year, just like abkari shops. By these means
revenue will be increased to a great extent and
smuggling checked. At present one licensed ven-
dor of a district sells charas to an illicit seller
called Khufia Farosh of another district; for
example, charas is commonly sold at Rs. 20 a seer
openly, and bought at one and half rupees per seer.
He will sell it at two and half rupees per seer to
illicit seller of another district, gaining a profit of
one rupee per seer, and this illicit seller would sell
it at Rs. 4 a seer in his district when it is sold at
Rs. 20 a seer by the chief licensed vendor of that
district, and would thus get one and half rupees
profit per seer. Unless these secret transactions
are checked, no improvement or control can be
exercised, nor can any tax have any effect on
consumers.
60. I can't say whether ganja is produced in
our province by cultivation. It is imported from
other places, specially Gwalior.
61. Charas is not produced in our provinces ;
it is always imported from other countries, as
stated in previous answers.
62. I do not think that the cultivation of the
hemp plant for the production of bhang should be
in any way controlled.
It is looked upon as a very trifling article of
intoxicants and is not much cared for. No one
likes to touch it, excepting for medicinal purposes,
or those who use it take it or buy it. Others
would not accept it, even in lawful quantities, to
keep it, as is seen when it is distributed gratis at
the end of the term of a licensed vendor, who in
order to get rid of it, distributes it for nothing.
Nor would it be feasible to exercise control over
the production of bhang, as it grows wild on roofs,
streets and places which are impossible to be
vol v.
2 F 2