142
females and religious mendicants and some
prostitutes smoke them. Children, as a rule, do
not smoke, but bhang is used by the children of
the Chaubes of Muthra.
32. On the occasion of the Holi festival, it is
customary for the Hindus of these provinces to
eat majum or confection of bhang, and on the
last day of the Durga Puja it is customary for the
Bengalis to see their friends, who offer them a
cup of bhang and sweetmeats. These customs
are essential. The use of the drug is generally
temperate, and not, as a rule, injurious. It does
not lead to the formation of the habit.
37. The charas is much more prompt in its
action than ganja, and causes more dryness of
the throat. Bhang is by far milder and plea-
santer in its effects than either of the above.
41. Charas and ganja may be beneficial to
give staying-power under severe exertion or
exposure or to alleviate fatigue, and in malarious
places as a preventive of fever.
44. The immediate effect of these drugs on the
moderate consumer is that of an excitant. They
produce intoxication and are refreshing. Charas
and ganja allay hunger, but bhang sharpens
appetite. The effects of bhang last about three
hours, and the after-effects are slight giddiness and
redness of the eyes.
45. Even moderate consumers of charas and
ganja are considered as morally degraded; they
are duller in intellect and physically incapable
of hard and sustained work unless propped up by
their necessary excitants. Bhang is not so much
looked down upon, and causes heaviness and
laziness. Appetite is never promoted, but rather
retarded by charas and ganja.
46. Excessive use of charas is sure to produce
bronchitis and asthma, but ganja not so much.
All the drugs induce laziness, and may lead
to habits of immorality or debauchery.
47. Consumers of these drugs set a bad
example to their children, who quickly imbibe the
habit from their parents. I do not think the
tendency is hereditary.
43. For aphrodisiac enjoyments people do use
these drugs in moderate doses.
50. Excessive use of these drugs may produce
impotence.
97. Evidence of ASSISTANT SURGEON MUL RAJ, Khatri, Faizabad.
1. During twenty-three years of my service I
have been in charge of different dispensaries.
19. As far as I know, ganja and charas are only
used for smoking.
23. Bhang is not used for smoking in this coun-
try and Punjab.
29. Generally black pepper and aniseed are mix-
ed with bhang. Tobacco is mixed with charas and
ganja; dhatura is occasionally mixed with bhang
to increase its effect. Well-to-do people mix than-
dai with bhang, besides milk and sugar. Thandai,
as sold in bazars, consists of all or many of the
following ingredients:—black pepper, aniseed,
poppy seed, cardamom seeds, kahu, khurfa, kasni,
gul-e-khaira, seeds of melons and water melons.
But these are chiefly used in summer season.
30. Well-to-do and respectable people consume
these drugs moderately in solitude, but they are
largely consumed by low caste people and fakirs
in company at temples and dharmsalas. The use
of these drugs is mainly confined to male sex and
adult age. But here and there some instances are
met with where women of bad character use them.
Children never use them.
31. The habit of consuming these drugs is easily
formed when taken for some time, and when once
formed is difficult to break, except under the ad-
vice of physicians, when the effects are injurious
to the consumer. There is a tendency in the case
of all these drugs for the moderate habit to develop
into excessive among fakirs and poor people. Re-
spectable people who take bhang generally confine
to a fixed moderate quautity throughout their
lives.
32. Bhang is moderately used in some marriage
parties. In this country bhang and its compound
majum are also offered to friends on Holi festival.
Some persons offer oblations of bhang to god Shiva
on Sheoratri festival and partake of it themselves.
This is considered a religious ceremony, but it is
not essential to take bhang on festivals above de-
scribed. The use is generally temperate. It is
not likely to lead to the formation of the habit.
37. The effects of charas-smoking are similar to
those of ganja, with the exception that the effects
of charas are stronger than those of ganja. The
effects of bhang-drinking take place later, but last
for a longer period and are congenial.
40. Preparations of bhang are prescribed by
native hakims or baids. Bhang is largely used in
cattle diseases.
41. Moderate use of bhang is beneficial in its
effects as (a), (b) and (c). Charas and ganja are
also used so as to give staying-power under severe
exertion or exposure, and to alleviate fatigue.
44. The immediate effect of the moderate use of
bhang is refreshing. It creates appetite and lasts
for hours. The subsequent want of gratification
does produce longing and uneasiness.
45. The habitual moderate use of bhang does
not produce any noxious effects, physical or moral;
but if taken for a long time, it does affect the
memory to some extent. The moderate use of
charas and ganja does produce all the noxious
effects in the long run.
46. Excessive use of these drugs does produce
all the noxious effects. During the period of my
service, of all the cases of insanity that have come
under my notice, some of them were due to the
excessive use of one or the other of these drugs.
Excessive use of bhang, when conjoined with good
food, does not physically affect the consumer.
Chaubes of Muthra, who consume large quantities
of bhang, but at the same time take good nourish-
ing food, are known to be strong all over the
country.
49. The moderate use of charas and bhang is
practised as aphrodisiac. It is also used by some
prostitutes. But in the long run the effects are in-
jurious.
50. Excessive use of these drugs is practised as
aphrodisiac. But after a time they all produce
impotency.
56. As described in question No. 29. Some-
times bhang and alcohol are taken together in
Punjab: that is called mada. There is a com-
pound called panjratni, which is also used by some
excessive consumers. This consists of bhang,
opium, alcohol, dhatura, and mada.