253
46. I know of no case in which habitual exces-
sive use of bhang has caused any serious disease of
the body or brain. But 1 know a case which
occurred in the Bijnor district about the year 1866,
in which a man, after smoking ganja or charas to
excess, became mad and murdered his two children
and a female relation. The madness was said by
the medical officers to be acute homicidal mania.
It lasted tor several weeks.
47. No.
49. Moderate use of ganja and charas is said
to increase and excessive use to destroy virility.
Bhang is neither beneficial nor injurious in this
respect.
50. See 40.
51. It has become a custom among bad charac-
ters to smoke ganja, charas, chandu, and madak,
whether moderately or excessively. New members,
as soon as they join the society of bad characters,
begin to follow the custom. There seems to be no
connection between crime and the use of hemp
drugs.
52. See above.
53. Yes, see No. 46.
54. 1 think not.
55. A strong puff of ganja or charas causes
complete stupefaction to a person not accustomed
to smoke these drugs to excess. A large dose of
bhang also causes stupefaction. I know of no
case in which any of these drugs, without the
admixture of dhatura, was administered to facili-
tate crime on the victim.
56. Hard drinkers of bhang mix dhatura for
personal consumption, and criminals mix it in
bhang or sweetmeat or food for administration to
their victims.
57. I know of no such case.
58. The system is good, except that it does not
prohibit the open use of ganja and charas in the
shops where they are sold or in public places.
63. No objection.
64. None.
65. I think the taxation is fairly regulated.
67. No objection.
68. See No. 58.
69. Public opinion is not consulted at present,
but certainly it ought to be consulted.
70. Smuggling in small quantities is so easy
that I do not think it possible that it should be
stopped altogether by any penalties.
Oral evidence.
Question 1.—I served twenty-two years as
Magistrate in Bulandshahar, and nine years in
Etawah (as Magistrate and Tahsildar) and four
years in Bijnor. I was also Translator in the Sec-
retariat and Hoard's Office before that.
Question 25.—I judge from what I see in my
own neighbourhood that the use of these drugs
is on the increase. Where two or three used to
smoke now five or ten smoke. I think this is due
to increased communication and specially with
the parts east of Allahabad. People, especially of
the lower classes (saises, etc.) have come bringing
the habit with them and diffasing the practice.
Question 35.—I think that the same low classes
take ganja or charas as take liquor ; but it is not
usual for the same people to take both. I con-
sider that the evil consequences of alcoholic liquor
are worse than those of hemp drugs. The expense
too of the former does not act as a deterrent, but
leads to poverty and misery in the family : child-
ren of liquor-drinkers starve.
Question 46.—I hear that the excessive use of
ganja or charas often produces insanity (as stated
in answer No. 37) but the case given in answer
No. 46 is the only one I know. It occurred when
I was Magistrate. I cannot remember whether
it was ganja or charas ; but I remember it was
one or other that the man was said to have taken.
There was no mention of other drugs so far as I
remember. I did not inquire whether any other
member of his family was mad. I heard the case.
I was empowered to commit to the Sessions Court.
But the man was not fit to make his defence and
was not tried. He had killed his own wife and
one or two children and also his aunt. There was
no evidence of motive, no evidence of quarrel. It
was said that he had been well in the morning,
that he took the drug some time later ; and in the
afternoon suddenly seizing a hoe killed these vic-
tims. He was about forty years of age. I do
not remember whether he was said to be a habitual
consumer. He was a weakly thin man. I do
not remember how he came to take the ganja.
He was sent to the Bareilly Asylum. I remained
at Bijnor a year and-a-half, during which time I
know he had not recovered. This is the only case
in my magisterial experience of thirty years.
None occur to me as having come before me pri-
vately or officially.
I know my coachman takes ganja ; hut I see
no difference in him. I can see no difference in
moderate consumers. But I know several cases of
bairagis, excessive consumers whom 1 could tell
by their redness of eyes and flushed appearance.
Question 58.—There is no prohibition against
consumption on the premises. This is evil be-
cause people consume more under these circum-
stances, and it is very unseemly in the bazar. They
might consume together in their houses ; but this
would not be so unseemly ; besides consumption
on the premises leads to loss of shame.
Question 59.—Beyond the above I have nothing
to recommend. The thing I want is to have the
consumption in shops stopped. I do not recom-
mend increase of duty. It would lead to smug-
gling. No d ubt it might lead to decrease in
consumption. I do not think that it would lead
to the increased use of alcohol ; for the two kinds
of intoxication are distinct. If total prohibition
were enforced, no doubt some would take to
liquor.
Such low classes require some kind of
intoxication. No one would go to dhatura : no
one uses it except for crime, except very excessive
drinkers who add a little to bhang. A slight in-
crease of duty would not do any harm. Total
prohibition would not be an unmixed good. I
think that, while the insanity and other evil effects
of excessive indulgence would be removed, the
relief in fatigue, etc., to the poorer labouring
classes would also be lost.