73
(d ) As a tonic and cooling drink it is largely
used by Hindus, mendicants, jogis, sanyasis, and
bairagis. A moderate dose is considered to be
from half to a rupee weight. The appetising
effects are most to the occasional moderate users
of the bhang. Charas has not this effect, but their
desire is for dainty food.
42. It is not harmless but baneful. First, the
moderate users have desire to its increase; secondly,
the daily cost, which would help to maintain the
family and other comforts; thirdly, it makes the
consumers lazy and averse to labour; fourthly, a
quiet disposed person becomes fretful and irritable
in most cases.
43. Not so; they are quarrelsome and labour
under imaginary harm of their neighbours.
44. The immediate effects are a peculiar intoxi-
cation and pleasurable feeling, a sort of halluci-
nation of grand waking dream, loquacious, very
desirous of amusements, songs, and music, and an
appetite for food. This state lasts for about three
hours, then follows depression, a desire to rest
or sleep; if not, fretful and irritable, and a longing
for the repetition of the stimulus.
45. Yes, the noxious effects are physical,
mental, and moral. It impairs the muscular
powers and nervous system. In time both appe-
tite and digestion are impaired. The consumers
are most subject to these diseases, dysentery,
bronchitis and asthma. It certainly induces
laziness. In the beginning it excites venery to a
certain extent. It over-excites the intellect and
produces insanity; but deadens pain, and induces
insanity of the type "mania," temporary or per-
manent. It can be reinduced by its use. The
typical symptoms come on generally suddenly—
delirium, excitement, restlessness, and attempts
to violence. The insanes, when recovered from
insanity, do confess to the use of ganja drugs; but
some are ashamed to confess the cause. I do not
consider it gives relief to persons suffering from
mental anxiety or brain diseases, but rather excites
them. In my experience, I have not found that
any person suffering from either mental or brain
diseases has brought on insanity by taking hemp
drugs for relief, or that persons of weakened intel-
-lect, deficient in self-control, have taken them to
cause insanity. The consumer's temperament is
also to be considered. I have observed those of
nervous temperament to be more prone to insanity
in the use of hemp drugs.
Of all the intoxicants used by the people of
India, none are so baneful as the hemp drugs.
The pleasurable feeling of intoxication lasts for
about three hours, and requires gratification and
longing, and there is a tendency to its increase.
The consumers at this state talk much and largely
and their intentions in doing much, but never
perform them; least unpleasant act or talk irri-
tates them to anger and abuse; in such fits be-
come lunatics, and commit violence and murder
or suicide. During my Civil Surgeoncy of Sam-
balpur, I met with many such cases.
1. I have a man at present in employ who had
become temporarily mad from smoking ganja.
2. The zamindar of Sanda Chukly, in Sambal-
pur, a smart, handsome man, took to ganja and
madak smoking, became insane, and was put under
restraint. He got well and was removed to his
home, when he again took to his old habit and
became insane, and died of dysentery.
vol. vi.
3. His younger brother also took to the same
habit of ganja smoking and madak and became
insane, and died in this place from fever and head
affection.
4. A man living in Burra Bazar of Sambalpur,
vendor of native drugs and spices, had a family of
a wife and two grown-up children, boy and girl,
aged about 19 and 16, respectively. The boy
got into the habit of ganja smoking, and had
fits of insanity, destroyed things in the house,
and beat the people. When he was put under
treatment and restraint, he quite recovered, and
was removed to his home by his father. He
was taken great care of by the parents, and
not allowed to go about or smoke ganja. One
day the parents and his sister were away from
home, the boy being alone, strolled about the
house and espied an old leaf pipe charged
with ganja stuck in the thatch of the house.
He removed this, and lighted the same from
the cooking place, and was immediately affect-
ed with a fit of insanity. He saw his
father's sword hanging on the wall. He un-
- s h e a t h e d i t a n d w a l k e d a b o u t t h e r o o m . H i s
sister coming in with a vessel of water, he at
once attacked her, cutting her fearfully over the
head, face, arms, chest, and back, for which she
was about two months in hospital, and the boy
continued insane, and was transferred to the
lunatic asylum, and probably may be there yet.
5. The Mahunth of the temple in this place
had been an inveterate ganja smoker. He was
troubled with severe cough. One day he suddenly
fell down and died, and a quantity of blood
poured out of his mouth.
6. When I was attached to Her Majesty's
82nd Regiment, located at Delhi, a few years
after the Mutiny, a private soldier, strolling
about the ruined native building near Cashmere
Gate, was invited into a house by some native
females, and was given to drink a cup of bhang
sherbet, and was afterwards picked up by some of
the men of his regiment outside of the place in
an insensible condition. While bringing him to
the hospital, he awoke in a fit of madness, and
was so violent that six of the men could hardly
keep him down. An emetic of sulphate of zinc
and a cold douche to the head restored him, and
he gave the story of his drink. This man suffered
for some time with headache and confusion of
thoughts and sleepless nights.
46. The habitual excessive consumers. The
answers as above apply to the same questions
with this class. The insanity produced is general-
ly permanent. Dull, sleepy looking individuals
are most prone to the above-named diseases; but
particularly cough and asthma, and feebleness of
the general system.
47 and 48. I have no knowledge of this fact.
49. In moderate doses it acts as an aphrodisiac,
and I have known it to be used for that purpose,
and have been informed that prostitutes in parts
of India give it for that purpose, and have known
it to be given to soldiers of European regiments—
see case No. 6 in answer to question 45.
50. To the persons who are excessive consumers,
it certainly weakens the muscular powers and
intellect. Most of these men become emaciated
and of impaired intellect, and have little or no
amorous desires. Many are impotent.
51. They become petulant and quarrelsome
and subject to fits of anger, resort to violence,
and are averse to labour. Want tempts them to
c o mmi t t h e f t .
N