481
drunk for the purposes of intoxication it creates
false appetite, and is not digestive in both cases ;
(b) it does not give staying-power under severe
exertion or exposure or to alleviate fatigue, but ,
however, if it is grouad in water it has cooling
effect ; (c) in unhealthy tracts the use of bhang
is considered beneficial ; (d) in any other way it
does not appear to be beneficial.
There are no special classes who use the drug
for any of the above purposes.
42. It is not beneficial, but is injurious as stated
in answer to question No. 33.
43. No.
44. The immediate effect of its use is paleness
and laziness. It is not refreshing. It does not
make the consumer insensible, nor does it allay
hunger. Its intoxication creates appetite. Its
effect lasts for three hours, and its after-effects are
fatigue and forgetfulness, and the want of subse-
quent gratification produces uneasiness and long-
ing for a further dose.
45. The use of these drugs produces noxious
physical and mental effects. It injures the
digestion and causes loss of appetite, and the con-
sumer has no tendency for food until he uses the
drugs. The excessive or moderate use of charas
causes bronchitis and asthma.
The excessive or moderate use of bhang causes
indigestion and dysentery. It greatly impairs the
moral sense and induces habits of immorality and
laziness. It also induces habits of debauchery.
It also produces insanity by excessive use; this
insanity is not of a permanent nature, but of the
kind of melancholia, because by giving up the
use of these drugs and by skilful treatment the
consumer recovers. Consumers who become insane
by the use of these drugs are not violent, but only
talk nonsense. Those people who by the use of
these drugs become subject to mental anxiety or
brain diseases still use these drugs, but other people
who suffer from the said diseases have no longing
for the use of the drugs in order to obtain relief.
46. By the excessive use of these drags the
symptoms mentioned above appear much earlier
than by moderate use.
47. It is not an hereditary habit, but is only
formed by the company (of consumers). The
children are, however, weak and degenerated.
48. As the effect of these intoxicants is extreme-
ly arid and cooling, the offspring of the con-
sumer is always weak, because the sexual power
is affected.
49. At first the moderate use of bhang and
charas is practised as an aphrodisiac, but gradu-
ally it develops into the excessive habit and tends
to produce impotence. Prostitutes also use the
drugs for this purpose, and they prove very inju-
rious, because these drugs dry the blood and tend
to produce impotence, and by their use the con-
sumers practically become impotent, more so by
the use of charas.
50. Please see answer to question No. 49. The
only difference is that the excessive use makes the
consumer impotent much earlier than the mode-
rate use.
51. Some bad characters commit crimes by
means of these drugs, generally offences under
sections 377 and 379 of the Indian Penal Code,
and in some instances the criminals stupefy their
victims by administering these drugs in further-
ance of their criminal designs.
52. Crimes are committed by inducing the
vol. v.
excessive use of these drugs, and by means of
these serious and minor offences are committed.
53. Certainly indulgence in charas incites to
unpremeditated crimes, violent or otherwise, but
I can give no instances.
54. No ; on the contrary , their use depresses
the spirits.
55. Yes.
56. Bhang proves less injurious, if ingredients,
such as aniseed and musk-melon seeds, be mixed
with it ; and moderate cousumers often mix these
ingredients ; but in the excessive use such admix-
tures are of no use. The admixture of dhatura
increases intoxication, and, moreover, effects com-
plete stupefaction, the consequences of which are
very injurious as stated in answer to question
No. 45.
57. Charas is only smoked, and its effects are
injurious as stated in answer to question No. 45,
etc.
Oral evidence.
Question 1.— I have noticed in what respects
the bodies, habits and characters of consumers of
bhang and charas differ from those of other
people. I have observed both occasional and
habitual moderate and excessive consumers in the
cities and in villages, rich and poor. No friend
of mine is a consumer, but a servant of mine is.
A relation of mine who was a consumer is now
dead, and some of my co-religionists are smokers.
Question 7.—People who are habitual consum-
ers sometimes grow the plant for themselves.
The patches of cultivation are sometimes as large
as thirty-second part of an acre. The strength
of the drug depends on quality of the tillage, and
manure is sometimes added after the plant has
grown a foot or two high.
Question 35.— Charas is more injurious than
bhang. The charas-smoker is good for nothing.
The only moderate consumers, I know, are wealthy
people, who can afford other intoxicants. The
moderate consumer of charas almost invariably
becomes an excessive consumer, and his mind is
speedily affected. This drug is more mischievous
than liquor. The harm which results from alcohol,
if taken in moderation, is not nearly so great as
that from charas, and, moreover, liquor is more
expensive, and people cannot afford to take so
much of it. It would be impossible to make
charas so expensive as alcohol; if it were possible
to do so that would be one way of dealing with
the subject.
The use of bhang is increasing, and it is worse
than alcohol because it produces diseases, which
alcohol does not. It would be well to prohibit
bhang also, but if it were taxed that would do
good, I never heard of Moulvi Murid Ghaus
having preached against the hemp drugs, but I
quite sympathize with such efforts.
Question 53.—Since writing my answer I have
come to know of a case of murder due to bhang.
Attar Beg was a tahsil chaprassi, and was mur-
dered by a fakir under the influence of bhang.
The fakir was hanged. This occurred three or
four years ago in the Muzaffargarh district.
There was no enmity between the parties , and
bhang was wholly responsible for the crime. The
murderer was a constant consumer of bhang, and
did nothing else, and I expect that the drug will
be mentioned in the record of the case. The mur-
dered man was 80 years old.
3 T