317
Ganja—(a) and (b) : Dry tobacco is added
Charas. (a) and (b) : Tobacco as ordinarily smok-
ed is added. Dhatura is never added to any of the
three drugs.
30. The consumption of drags is practised very
much more in company than in solitude.
Only a few women, and those of low caste,
consume hemp drugs. The use of them is not
confined to any time of life ; boys of ten years old
and upwards consume all three kinds of drugs.
31, The habit is easily formed, and is hard to
break off ; the tendency in the case of all three
drugs is for the moderate habit to develop into the
excessive.
32. The consumption of intoxicants to the extent
of intoxication is almost universal among Hindus
at the Holi festival. Each man takes what he
likes best ; it is not essential to consume anything.
The custom is hardly likely to lend to the forma-
tion of the habit of consuming drugs.
33. Moderate consumption of drugs is not look-
ed upon as evil ; but consumption to the extent of
intoxication is reprobated by all because of its
demoralizing effect both on body and mind. I
know of no custom of worshipping the hemp
plant.
34. It would cause discomfort to an excessive
consumer to deprive him all at once of drugs ; it
would not cause discomfort to diminish his con-
sumption gradually. In no case would the effects
of suddenly stopping a man's consumption of
drugs be comparable to the effects depriving a
confirmed opium-eater suddenly of his opium.
35. It would be a good thing to stop the
use of drugs, and it would be possible to do so,
most of the drugs used in these provinces being
imported, and illicit consumption of them being
for that reason difficult. For the same reason it
would be easy to enforce the prohibition. Dis-
content would ensue for a short time, not even for
a month, and would then abate. There would
be no political danger in the prohibition. Bhang-
drinkers of low castes deprived of bhang may
take to alcoholic stimulants ; ganja and charas
smokers would make a freer use of tobacco. No
drug consumers would take to opium.
N.B.—I would not prohibit the use of bhang,
which does little harm.
36. There is no reason to think so. The
effects of drugs and alcohol are quite distinct, and
the one could not be a substitute for the other.
37. Charas is a stronger intoxicant than pathar
ganja, and pathar ganja is much stronger than
baluchar ganja. Habitual use of charas would
ruin a man sooner than habitual use of ganja.
38. The three different preparations have the
same effect.
39. Bhang is only taken as a drink ; ganja and
charas are only smoked. Bhang-drinking is much
less harmful than ganja or charas-smoking. Bhang
is even useful as a medicine. The reason for this
is that bhang is not so strong an intoxicant as
ganja and charas.
40. (a) Ganja and charas are never used medicin-
ally ; bhang is frequently used for outward ap-
plication on people suffering pain consequent on
a chill. It is not given internally as a medicine.
(b) Bhang is commonly given to cattle in a very
exhausted state to revive them ; it is also given to
cattle suffering pain internally ; the causes of such
pain I cannot state.
VOL. V.
41. Ganja and charas can never have a benefi-
cial effect.
Bhang— (a) as a general food accessory is of
no use ;
(b) in moderation alleviates severe fatigue, but
has no effect to giving staying-power ;
(c) counteracts the effects of very bad water,
but is of no use as an ordinary febrifuge ;
(d) has no beneficial effect otherwise.
Habitual consumers alleviate fatigue by the use
of bhang, but would not forego the use merely
because they were not fatigued. Occasional con-
sumers would use the drug to alleviate fatigue
when they would not otherwise use it.
42. Moderate occasional use of bhang is harm-
less ; moderate but habitual use of bhang is very
likely to lead to excessive use ; so long as the drug
is moderately used it is harmless, but it is unlikely
that any habitual consumer will restrict himself
to moderate use.
43. A moderate consumer of ganja is not offens-
ive to his neighbours.
44. Ganja and charas at once produce
intoxication, which last for two hours. Bhang
used moderately by an habitual consumer is
refreshing, produces no intoxication, creates an
appetite. Its effects last about three hours.
There are no after-effects. Want of subsequent
gratification produces some but not much unea-
siness ; the longing would go off in a few days.
45. Ganja and charas make a man thin and
impair his energy ; they lessen his appetite, and
sooner or later produce, first bronchitis (purana
khansi) and then asthma. They induce laziness,
but habitual use rather conduces to impotency
than immorality. Moderate use does not cause
insanity.
Bhang moderately used makes a man fat and
rather lazy, inducing him to eat more. It injures
his intellect a little, but causes no illness or insani-
ty. It induces immorality (see 49).
46. Habitual excessive use of ganja and charas
produces the effects of moderate use of these
drugs, but more quickly. It also produces insan-
ity ; insanity, I think, could be cured, but I
know of no cases of cure. I do not know of the
drug being used to obtain relief from mental
anxiety. I know of no case of insanity leading
to use of the drugs. Excessive use of bhang dead-
ens the intellect, but does not, as far as 1 know,
produce insanity.
47. Neither habitual moderate use nor habitual
excessivs use of hemp drugs is hereditary, though
force of example leads children of drug consumers,
to consume drugs themselves.
48. Habitual use of ganja and charas by a man
tend to make his children wanting in physique and
intellect, less or more according as the use is.
moderate or excessive. Habitual moderate use of
bhang does not affect a man's children ; habitual
excessive use of bhang tends to deaden the intel-
lect of a man's children.
49. Ganja and charas are never so used. Bhang
is very much used by lascivious men as an aphro-
disiac, and occasionally so by prostitutes, who
are induced by men to use the drug. Ganja and
charas tend to produce impotence, but not so
bhang.
50. Excessive use of bhang for this purpose
comes with constant use. Ganja and charas used
in excess conduce more quickly to impotency.
3 B 2