251
course, be aggravated by excessive indulgence in
ganja and charas. In exceptional cases they may
induce insanity as well. Bhang may also produce
this horrid condition.
47. No.
48. This question is. for experts.
49. No ; on the contrary, ganja and charas im-
pair the sexual appetite. Never so used by
prostitutes. The use of hemp does not appear to
produce impotence.
50. The above remarks apply with greater
force in regard to the excessive use of these drugs.
The use of hemp, however, does not cause impo-
tence.
51. I cannot say.
52. I am unable to answer this question.
53. No. I don't think so. I am not aware of
any such case.
54. There is no evidence to show this.
55. In rare instances perhaps they do so. A
goodly dose of bhang can induce complete stupe-
faction. Not so ganja and charas.
56. Ganja and charas are never smoked by
themselves without the admixture of tobacco,
which is done to give it aroma and flavour. They
mix spices with bhang to give it a fine flavour.
I have no special information regarding the ad-
mixture of dhatura ; but I suppose they do it in
the ease of personal consumption to induce strong
intoxication and a state of happy oblivion ; and
as regards its administration to others, criminals
may sometimes adopt this practice to further
their nefarious designs.
57. This does not appear to be the case.
58. 1 believe the excise administration of this
province to be working tolerably well. At all
events I have heard no complaint about it from
well-informed and unprejudiced persons.
59. I cannot indicate any specific improve-
ments.
60. Ganja, I believe, is not cultivated in this
province because perhaps of its inferior quality ;
nor is it prepared here ; it is imported from other
provinces of India.
61. Charas is not produced in our province, but
is imported from abroad.
62. I do not think that this is necessary.
I do not imagine that this would be feasible.
63 and 64. None.
65. I cannot hazard any opinion as to this
question.
66. I am of opinion that the superior kinds
might be taxed more than the inferior ones.
67. I am not sure.
68. I believe there are such shops in our
province. I have no practical acquaintance with
them, so cannot give any opinion.
69. As to the first and second parts of this
question, I am not aware. I think local public
opinion ought to be consulted.
70. I am not aware of any such facts. I think
duty is paid in respect to the hemp drugs used.
As to the last part of this question, I have no in-
formation.
182. Evidence of RAJA LACKMAN SINGH, Government Pensioner and Zamindar,
Agra.
1. I was Deputy Collector for more than thirty
years, during which time I had often charge of
the Abkari Department, and opportunities of ob-
taining information on matters connected with the
department, in the North-Western Provinces.
2. Ganja is not produced nor much used in the
North-Western Provinces. Charas and bhang are
used but not produced (or rather prepared) in
these provinces for use. The limited amount of
ganja used is generally of the sort called baluchar.
3. In the districts of Saharanpur and Muzaffar-
nagar the hemp plant grows spontaneously and in
a large area.
6. Rather dense.
7. See No. 3. No cultivation.
12. Ganja is imported into these provinces
chiefly from the district of Rajshahi in Bengal.
14. No.
18. All the three drugs are spoilt within two
years, even when protected from damp. If not
so protected, they deteriorate in 12 months.
19. They are used only for smoking. I know
of no case personally ; but I have heard that
charas is sometimes eaten with betel leaf under
the belief that it increases virility. The quantity
taken is said to be very small, viz., about a grain.
20. Very low classes, such as grass-cutters
(Chamars) ,cook boys, bhangis, dooly-bearers and
the like. Mostly in towns and rarely in villages.
In towns the smokers must be about 2 per cent.
of the total population. Ascetics and professional
mendicants are proverbially excessive smokers ;
the former for the purpose of destroying virility.
Brothel-keepers and their customers are generally
charas and ganja smokers.
21. Baluchar is preferred. In the upper dis-
tricts of the North-Western Provinces ganja
smokers arc rather rare.
22. Foreign charas is chiefly used. It is im-
ported from the Punjab and also from beyond the
Indus. One kind is called Yarkandi, probably
from its being imported from Yarkand.
23. No, I have never heard of it.
24. The Chaube Brahmans of Mathra are the
famous bhang drinkers. It is not an exaggera-
tion to say that 99 out of every 100 Chaubes
drink bhang. In Mathra and Bharatpur, and in
all the towns around them, bhang is largely con-
sumed, and every class of people drink it. The
average must be about 75 per cent. of the male
population who drink bhang. As a rule the
drinkers are men who have no work to do, or
whose work is of the indoor sort. Eating of
bhang is not much in practice. Residents of the
places of Tirath (or sacred places) of the Hindus
are almost all bhang drinkers; and so are the
priests and mendicants and ascetics of those
places.
25. It seems to be on the increase owing to the
facility with which the drugs are obtained. An-
other reason is that the caste-bonds, the old rules
of society, the fear of excommunication, and the
reverence for religious commands have been much
destroyed by the development in this country of
the customs and freedom of Europe.
vol. v.
2 N 2