vol. vi.
2 ra
249
time he became a very violent insane, tried to
break the iron bars of the sub-jail in which he
was kept for safe keeping, became very abusive,
and several times attemped to dash his brains
by striking against the walls. When he was
sent to Coimbatore Hospital, he became cured of
it. I now hear that he now leads a quiet life as
a cultivator as he was dismissed from the service
when insane,
54. I don't think.
55. I don't think complete stupefaction can be
induced without the admixture of dhatura. I
don't think criminals stupefy their victims and
steal their things as they do in Northern India.
As caste is rigidly observed in Southern India, cri-
minals have no opportunites of inducing caste
travellers to partake of their sweetmeats and
stupefy themselves.
56. I have given my reply to this question in
answering Question 29.
57. I don't know.
58. I have not studied the rules promulgated
for the present system of excise administration,
but I hear the plant is indiscriminately culti-
vated.
59, 60, 61, 62 and 63. I think this indiscriminate
cultivation must be checked. It must only be
allowed to be cultivated in selected localities in
each district or province, as poppy, and sold by
licensed dealers at enhanced prices.
64, 65, 66 and 67. I don't know.
68. I hear licensed dealers only sell these drugs,
but never heard that they prepare and sell the
preparations themselves, I think it would be well
to order these licensed dealers to prepare these
drugs under proper control and sell in small quan-
tities to the public.
69. The wishes of the people must be consi-
dered before opening a shop in a locality, other-
wise the opening of a shop in a place where it is
not wanted will cause the greatest annoyance to
the people living in the neighbourhood.
Oral evidence.
Question 1.—I am pensioned Tahsildar.
Qmeslion 45.—I know people who take small
quantities who suffer in this way. I know many
who do not so suffer. It is a matter of tempera-
ment. It is the weak constitution people who
suffer. Strong people can bear the drug. Bairagis
are excessive smokers. Rajputs, Mahrattas, and
others who remain stationary are, as a rule,
moderate. Those who have work remain moderate
smokers without becoming excessive consumers.
It is the idle, those who have little to do, that go
to excess. Many Bairagis suffer from asthma.
They wander long distances and have no homes.
Question 53 .—The constable referred to used to
take the drug in small quantities, and when he
went to this unhealthy place, he took the drug to
excess. I was there as Tahsildar, so I know the
case. The man did not drink. I saw him in his
violent state. He was sent to Coimbatore Hos-
pital and cured in a few months. I knew this
man only as a policeman ; he was my orderly
several times. His two brothers were my peons ;
and he used to come to see them. No inquiry was
made as to the cause of his insanity. He was
merely sent to hospital, not the asylum. He was
dismissed from the police owing to his insanity.
I never saw his father. One of the brothers was
a very sensible man ; the other an ordinary peon.
The dismissal was after the man was cured. I do
not know the cause of dismissal definitely.
60. Evidence of N. SOONDRAMIAH
, Brahmin, Deputy Tahsildar, Ootacamund.
1. As Deputy Tahsildar of Ootacamund Division
for over four and-a-half years, I have come in
contact with several classes of people and visited
all parts of the division.
3. My knowledge is confined only to the Oota-
c a m u n d d i v i s i o n w h e r e , i n s o m e p a r t s , t h e p l a n t
grows spontaneously to a very small extent. The
whole area put together will hardly come to an
acre.
4 . T h e p l a n t i s g e n e r a l l y c a l l e d g a n j a p l a n t .
5. The plant grows well in certain villages
adjoining the slopes of hills on the northern side,
such as Ebanad and Kadanad, and also in Musni-
gudi, especially near cattle kraals and in back-
yards of houses where manure is abundant. It
grows at an elevation below 6,000 feet. Solitary
bushes are also to be found in Ooty town in
certain back-yards.
6. There is no regular cultivation of hemp
plant in this division. Only scattered bushes of
a wild nature are to be found here and there ; in
some places solitary plants and in others a cluster
of ten or fifteen plants.
7. There is no cultivation of hemp for any of
these purposes ; but I hear that the scattered
plants found in Musnigudi near the houses of
cattle graziers, sholagers, are used by them for
smoking purposes.
8. As the raiyats are under the impression that
its cultivation is prohibited, there is no regular
cultivation.
There is no restriction as to cultivation of
this plant in this district. It can grow all over
the place freely ; but some say that ganja made
out of the leaves of the plant found on these hills
is not good.
1 4 .
Some of the ganja smokers on the hill
slopes use either the green or dried leaves, accord-
ing to urgency or necessity. There is no special
preparation of any of these three kinds. Con-
sumers purchase ganja from the licensed shop,
which imports from low countries, such as Coimba-
tore, etc. (b) Charas, (c) bhang (except a beverage
called bhang prepared from ganja) are unknown
in this part of the division.
16. A sort of beverage called bhang, ramarasam
or subja water, is prepared by some people in their
houses by mixing powdered ganja with cow's milk
or cocoanut juice, and also with sugar and spices.
Yes ; if kept exposed to the weather for
some long time, its flavour and ultimately its
effect is lost. The drug is, therefore, secured
either in earthen pots or tin boxes.
Charas is strange to this place and is not
used at all. Ganja is used in the following pre-
parations : Bhang—vide Question No. 16 : Black
and white majum.
Black majum.—This is a confection of the ganja
leaves mixed with sugar and made into tablets.
White majum—This is a confection of the ganja
leaves mixed with sugar, ghee, and flavouring
agents.