81
45. Yes, it produces injurious effects, physically,
mentally and morally. It impairs general health,
and predisposes its victims to subsequent bodily
and mental diseases. It causes diarrhœa, dysen-
tery, bronchitis and asthma in after life. It
impairs the moral sense and induces laziness and
immoral habits. It generally deadens the intel-
lect, as a remote action, and in rare cases produces
insanity, which is generally temporary, the typical
symptoms being a playful mirth, inducing the
victim to fits of laughter. He would frequently
play with imaginary objects. And in those rare
cases the use of hemp is de facto the only or one
of the principal predisposing causes.
46. The above remarks apply more strongly in
case of habitual excessive use of the drug.
47. Neither.
48. The same as above.
49. Yes, it is indeed often used as an aphro-
disiac. I do not know whether it is used by
prostitutes. I do not think that the use for this
purpose is more injurious than its use as an ordi-
nary narcotic. The long continued use of hemp
has almost a sure tendency to produce impotence,
as an after-effect.
50. There is no material difference.
53. It is very likely that excessive indulgence
in ganja would incite to unpremeditated crime,
violent or otherwise, and though I do not actually
know of any case in which it has led to homicidal
frenzy, I consider it quite possible.
55. There are some recorded cases where cri-
minals did induce their victims to partake of
bhang, mixed with dhatura, with a view to stupefy
them. I do not know of any case where complete
stupefaction has been induced by this drug without
admixture.
56. Bhang, when freely mixed with dhatura, is
a very strong narcotic. Cases are on record where
the mixed drugs have been administered to others
with criminal intent, chiefly with the object of
robbing the victims. Dhatura is seldom or never
mixed with bhang for personal consumption.
Oral evidence.
Question 1.—I was educated in the Calcutta
Medical College. I am L. M. S. I have served
twenty-two years. I was in Bengal for some years,
and in the Central Provinces for some years. I have
been in charge of the Damoh and Mandla Jails
for some time. I began to record information on
this subject about a mouth ago. Before that I
had paid no special attention to the subject. I
had kept no notes.
Questions 27 and 41.—The " idea " referred to
in the second sentence is to some extent correct.
People are to some extent better fitted for hard
labour. I do not myself think that ganja is a
food accessory. I think it tends to injure diges-
tion. I think bhang may be a digestive ; but
that is due to the carminatives, etc., in it. I
think these drugs are staying in hard labour. I
cannot say whether they are febrifuge. The
person accustomed to ganja will not be able to do
his hard and risky work without his ganja ; but I
do not advise any man to take ganja so as to have
more staying-power. I cannot say either that
smokers are better workers than non-smokers or
the reverse.
Question 29.—My information regarding the
criminal administration of dhatura is derived from
books.
Question 39.
—
I do not think there is any real
difference in effect between ganja and bhang ; but
there is difference in degree. I think that
ganja smoking is more harmful than bhang-
drinking. That is my experience.
Question 45 .—The " remote " or after-effects
to which I refer in question 42 are such diseases
as asthma, bronchitis, diarrhœa, functional dis-
eases of the heart, etc. I think these may result
from the moderate use of the drugs. The result
is cumulative. This does not apply to insanity
which results only from the excessive use. In
regard to asthma, bronchitis, diarrhœa, and dysen-
tery, I think the moderate use is enough to cause
them. I have seen no case of insanity from
moderate use ; but I know cases from excessive use.
I remember a case in my own village in Bengal of
a man who used the drug (ganja for smoking)
and became insane. He was cured in some four
or five months. He resumed his habits on release
and was back in the asylum in six months. I
have not heard of his release. I have seen him
smoke ganja regularly. I cannot say whether he
took dhatura. He was a hard ganja smoker. He
therefore possibly took dhatura, for hard smokers
mix dhatura to increase the effect occasionally.
This is the only case of insanity that I personally
know from hemp drugs. The man was a neigh-
bour. I know of no member of his family being
insane. I do not know of his having epilepsy.
He was forty-six years old when first insane.
I do not think that the moderate use of bhang
would cause asthma or bronchitis or diarrhœa or
dysentery. It is ganja that causes these remote
effects. Bhang is, I think, harmless as regards
its remote effects.
The last sentence of my reply to question 45
is based on the case above narrated. My remarks
about the typical symptoms are based on what I
have heard.
42. Evidence of MUHAMMAD HABIBULLA, 1st grade Hospital Assistant, Seoni.
1. My experience of 14 years' hospital practice
and during six months as Deputy Superintendent,
Lunatic Asylum, Jabalpur, I had numerous op-
portunities of investigating its relation to insanity.
2. Yes ; I accept unreservedly these definitions
by which the various narcotic articles are known
and recognised in these provinces.
3. I know personally no district where the hemp
plant grows spontaneously, but this I know that if
ganja smokers throw any of the seeds about, they
take root and grow almost in any ground, though
owing to prohibition of cultivation such accidental
plants are at once cut down.
4. The plant is known as the ganja plant, also
wijia, also phul ganja, ganja flower. These three
names refer to exactly the same plant.
5. I have no personal knowledge on this matter.
6. I have heard some residents of Sind and
Kashmir say that the growth of wild hemp is
dense ordinarily.
7. In Nimar much is cultivated,
v i z
. : —
(a) chiefly for ganja (flat),
(b) not for charas,
(c) not for bhang,
(d) not for fibre or seeds,
though it is possible ( b), (c), (d), may be utilized to
a minor extent.