194
Bhang is always eaten or drunk, but never I
smoked. A preparation of it called majun is
always eaten and distributed at present on festival
days.
Bhang and majun both, if taken in excess,
cause serious and fatal results in some cases. Cri-
minals always give it in larger doses with dhatura
or alum to cause stupefaction. Bhang, if used in
moderate doses with its "massala," proves less
injurious than either charas or ganja,
40. Charas and ganja.—These
are never used
by any school of native doctors internally. But
oil of ganja alone is applied in cases of neuralgia,
inflammatory and spasmodic affections.
Besides
this there is no other use of them in any form or
preparation.
Bhang is given in diarrhoea and colic with other
medicines to bear fatigue and produce sleep in
painful and inflammatory diseases. It is rubbed
over the body in cases of collapse and cold stage
of fever, and in cholera. It is also given inter-
nally before fevers as febrifuge or as preventive
of fever; and after severe prostration it is rubbed
on the body. It is given to cattle, such as sheep,
goats, cows, bullocks, buffaloes, horses, etc., alone
or with treacle or gur in cases of colic, diarrhoea,
fatigue, or exposure, or when the animal is in low
spirits and does not eat and drink well.
41. Charas and ganja are not beneficial in their
effects, even in moderate doses, in any of the
following states, excepting bhang, which is useful
in all of them—(a), (b), (c), (d).
Bhang only is given internally; but proves
beneficial when it is given in moderate doses occa-
sionally or in time of disease. It is administered
by all classes of people, specially Hindus and
baids, a school of ancient Hindu native doctors.
Charas and ganja are supposed to do good in
the above conditions ; but the theory is wrong.
They do more mischief than any good at all to
health, and all the pleasing effects which they
seem to produce are only transient and momentary.
Hindus and their school of doctors, called baids,
use it in above conditions in ninety per cent., and
others form a low percentage of 10 per cent.
They use it in moderate and occasional doses only.
42. None of these drugs really seems to be
be neficial or harmless, even in moderate doses, as
they injure the health, and run from moderation
to excessive inevitably. They spoil the lungs,
specially ganja and charas, which set up a chronic
sort of bronchitis and asthma, and cause generally
constipation, by which the liver and bowels be-
come disordered, and thus the whole system be-
comes impaired, and liable to be attacked with
any severe or slight disease, and changes of the
weather, specially cold one. His face becomes
pale; he coughs and brings up phlegm with diffi-
culty ; circles are formed round his eyes, which
take dull appearance, and their conjuntivæ appear
of a dirty colour ; blotches or patches form on the
face, as if blood has been extracted from these
places ; and the mucous membrane of the mouth,
lips, and nose heroines pale and anaemic; and a
bad smell is smelled from their mouth, hands, and
body and palms of the hands, which become pale,
so become the beard and mustachios. In extreme
cases the heart becomes affected, and the patient
dies a miserable death, because few medicines do
good to a ganja and charas smoker. The ill
effects of bhang are not so serious. It simply
produces indigestion or chronic dyspepsia, and
protrusion of the belly in excessive habitual con-
sumers, and makes him dull, indolent, and a
blockhead.
The ill sequelæ of ganja and charas are asthma,
hœmoptysis or spitting of blood, hœmatemesis or
passing of blood from the bowels; or produce in-
sanity, temporary or permanent.
The semen of ganja and charas smokers becomes
thin and sterile. The spermatozoids in it are seen
in a languid state, and unable to move about.
Bhang is harmless in moderate quantities if taken
habitually, and beneficial if used occasionally, but
in excess it also impairs mental, physical and
moral qualities.
43. Moderate consumers of bhang may be in-
offensive to their neighbours; but those of ganja
and bhang are always offensive, as their features,
face, hands and mustachios and beard become pale
and dirty and displeasing, and they emit a bad
smell from these parts and the body generally,
and cough constantly and spoil the place. They
sit with their sputa, as they have to spit every
moment.
44. The want of subsequent gratification in the
case of ganja and charas produces longing or un-
easiness. The intoxication of bhang lasts from
three to five hours.
Ganja and charas produce their effect or intoxi-
cation immediately; the former after ten or
fifteen minutes, and the latter at once, causing
dryness of the mouth and throat. There is rush
of blood towards the head, the eyes become red,
I and there is felt a feeling of refreshment and in-
toxication, which last from a quarter to one hour.
Bhang produces a peculiar sort of intoxication
and exhilaration of spirits and pleasing sorts of
ideas or hallucinations. There is much flow of ar-
terial blood towards the head, and a rushing sensa-
tion in the body. He becomes very talkative, either
sings or weeps, and walks with a peculiar gait. His
appetite becomes voracious, and his aphrodisia or
sexual desire increased. The eyes become red and
full of merriment. Ganja and charas allay hunger.
After-effects are of general depression. There
is lassitude, languor, headache, heaviness about
the head, which feels giddy, followed by stupor or
delirium.
45. The moderate use of any of these drugs, ex-
cepting bhang, does produce noxious effects—phy-
sical, mental and mora), and does impair the cons-
titution in one way or the other; it injures digestion
and causes loss of appetite, dysentery, bronchitis
and asthma; impairs moral sense, induces laziness
and habits of immorality or debauchery. It deadens
the intellect, and produces temporary disorder of
the mind or insanity of the type of melancholia or
dementia, which may be temporary or permanent.
If of the former type, the symptoms may be rein-
duced by use of the drug alter liberation from
restraint. The typical symptoms are that the
man complains of lassitude, languor and general
debility, loss of appetite, pain in different parts
of the body, uneasiness, and inability to do any
work, and shows symptoms of brain disease in
the form of perverted ideas or acts. Insanes
who have no ganja history do confess to the use
of the drug.
Those persons in whom the insanity has been
caused by use of hemp feel relief by it; but when
it is withheld from them, they suffer from longing
or uneasiness. When given to procure sleep to
those suffering from mental anxiety or disease it
causes habit of it, and the patient cannot do without
it, as he feels an inevitable desire for it, and he thus
becomes tended to indulgence in it, especially if be
is deficient in self-control through weakened
intellect.