97
for religious meditation like Rudra (name of Maha-
deva), for separation like Rama, for enjoyment like
Krishna, and for diseases thy effects are like nim
tree leaves, for Divine contemplation thou art like
Dhruwa, for awaking like Gorakhnath, for sleep
like Kumbha Karan, for eating like Bhimsen, and
for charity like Raja Bali."
34. It would be a serious privation to Mathuria
chaubeys, gosains, gungaputras, maha brahmins,
and to habitual excessive consumers to forego the
consumption of bhang, because they are habituated
to it, and they would be very uneasy without it.
Their probable number would be about 4 lakhs in
whole India. There would also be a serious priva-
tion to ganja and charas smokers to farego the
consumption of these drugs, and their number would
be over 15 lakhs.
35. Yes, it would be possible, but not practicable,
and it is also likely that the drug would be con-
sumed illicitly. The prohibition can be enforced by
enactment only. I think it would occasion serious
discontent among the consumers; but I don't ap-
prehend any political danger from such discontent
from that class of people. It is likely the prohibi-
tion would be followed by recourse to dhatura, kaner
root, mouth root and ghunghchi root and the like,
and the lower classes to alcohol.
36. No, I don't think so.
37. I have not the personal experience of this;
but my enquiry leads me to state that charas being
the essence produces strong intoxication, whilst
ganja-smoking not so much.
38. I am unable to answer this, except that
balucher ganja is very strong in its effect on con-
sumers.
39. So far as I know, the same plant, whether
it be bhang, charas, or ganja, is never used both for
drinking and smoking purposes. Sometimes when
ganja chur the farmers mix bhang for their
benefit and sell it, the consumers find the small
leaves floating on the surface of the water, and re-
move them by certain number of washing processes.
Bhang leaves sink down whilst ganja leaves float,
and if any leaves remain unremoved, they spoil the
entire taste of bhang. From this I conclude that
ganja is not a drug intended for drinking, nor that
anybody drinks it.
The smoking of ganja and charas is more injuri-
ous than the drinking of bhang, because the
smoking of the said drugs bring on cough, bron-
chitis, or asthma, which bhang does not.
40. Gun Ratna Mala, Nighaut Haritakiad,
Bhawaprakash, prescribe the use of bhang on
account of its medicinal qualities. Blang is given
to cattle also to alleviate fatigue and to increase
their appetite.
41. I know not of ganja or charas that even its
moderate use can in any way be beneficial to health,
but that it removes fatigue and cold is not question-
able.
Bhang is beneficial in its effects in all three cases
(a), (b), and (c).
I here insert two shlokes* (stanzas) I can at
present lay my hands on, meaning that it is preven-
tive of phlegm, digestive, and accessory to food,
increases power of speech, and tends to enjoyment,
etc., etc.
The experience shows that it gives staying-power
under severe exertion or exposure. Men coming
after hard work or hard fatigue generally take this
bhang to alleviate fatigue, and in malarious and
unhealthy tracts it is taken as preventive of disease
(fever), and, so far as I know, all classes use this
* Not printed.
bhang in Terai tracts, and even some female sex.
I refer to moderate habitual use or moderate occa-
sional use.
42. If one or two mashas bhang be taken with
thandai (see answer to question 29) both morning
and evening, after it is well saturated, well washed
and well powdered and mixed with sugar and milk
will certainly do good and nourish the system.
The moderate use over what I have just stated
would be harmless, if not quite beneficial.
The proverb to be mastered means, one that goes
to stool after drink is not likely to spend money
for medicines or doctor's visit.
43. Yes.
44. The immediate effect of the moderate use of
bhang is refreshing to drinkers, though it docs not
produce intoxication at once. It creates appetite is
undoubted. The effect lasts at least six hours.
The want of subsequent gratification does not
produce any longing or uneasiness.
45. If milk, cream and ghi are affordable to
bhang drinkers, bhang would nourish both body and
mind, otherwise it impairs constitution. It docs
not injure digestive power or cause loss of appetite.
It docs not cause dysentery, bronchitis or asthma
is a fact; on the other hand, it is given as medicine
in cases of dysentery. It docs impair the moral
sense and induce laziness. If a man who has
never drunk bhang happens to drink it, it would
I certainly deaden his intellect.
As regards ganja and charas, I must say that
they impair constitution, injure appetite and diges-
tion, and do cause both bronchitis and asthma.
The proverb is "Ganja and charas declare their
effects that they create cough, bronchitis, or asthma,
and if the smokers don't die they are helpless, i.e.,
it is not their fault."
46. Auswer to question 45 applies to this also,
with this exception, that occasionally habitual ex-
cessive consumers of bhang are unable to partake
their food freely, as their mouth and tongue get
dry, and they cannot easily swallow food. The
bhang greatly affects the intellect of the excessive
consumers.
But in case of excessive ganja and charas smokers,
I know not what effects they produce on their body
and mind; but I believe it does cause temporary
insanity.
47 and 48. Never.
49. (a) Yes. (See stanzas under answer to
question 41).
(b) The prostitutes generally use charas, ganja,
and liquor, and not bhang. Yes, because a man
loses his strength.
(c) Yes. If wholesome food and ghi or milk
are beyond reach, bhang would cause impotence in
time, and so ganja and charas.
50. Ditto ditto, with this difference, that
bhang is not an aphrodisiac in their case.
51. The bad characters are also habitual moderate
consumers; but their proportion cannot be fixed as
regards each of the drugs. The only thing I can
say for certain is that they are all addicted to some
kind of drugs.
55. Yes, they do; but, so far as I have ascer-
tained, complete stupefaction cannot be induced
without admixture of dhatura.
56. For personal consumption the consumers
mix dhatura in a small quantity, or as much as
vol. V.
R