490
cohabitation under the influence of them, and conse-
quently exhaust themselves. It does tend to pro-
duce impotence. It dries the spermagenitale.
50. If the moderate use ultimately produces
such a disastrous effect, excessive use cannot but do
so much more effectually and in much less time.
People who use those drugs excessively cohabit
longer than those who use them moderately, and
exhaust themselves much sooner; and sometimes
there is no discharge of semen at all. The excessive
use of these drugs dries the semen, and all vitality
in a very short time.
51. Almost all bad characters use hemp drugs
to deaden the feelings of shame, humanity and
fear Criminals in the eve of committing crimes,
generally use these drugs in moderate quantities.
Murder, burglary, theft, rape, and other crimes
are seldom committed without the use of these
drugs in moderate quantities, and also to drown
their remorse.
52. Those who use these drugs in excessive quan-
tities become helpless creatures, and even unfit for
any daring crime. They may commit petty theft,
when in want of funds to procure these drugs or
food. They also quarrel with their neighbours or
trouble their families.
54. Yes, always.
55. Yes; experienced people generally take their
own tobacco, so that there may not be any chance
of any of these drugs being mixed in the tobacco.
Yes, complete stupefaction is possible by pure drugs
in the case of those who never used them before.
Dhatura is often mixed for such purposes.
56. Bhang drunk, mixed with black pepper,
milk, sugar, sweet almonds, is less injurious.
Bhang mixed with dhatura produces complete
stupefaction; the victim will be dumb, and unable
to walk. It is not mixed for personal use, but for
others with a view to rob them.
62. Should be controlled. People who produce
bhang use it themselves, and give it to others
gratis. If this practice is prohibited, it may do
great good. Those who give or sell bhang to others
without a license should be punished.
65. Taxation on all these drugs ought to be ten-
fold increased, because cheapness of these drugs is
one of the principal causes of their consumption.
67. Yes, it ought to be increased.
68. Shops or houses, where these drugs, and
specially their preparations, are sold and consumed
in the premises, are the hot beds of crimes. People
who frequent such places lose all self-respect, all
comeliness of appearance, and all moral sense. They
are dead to all useful purposes of life, and simply
lead useless existence. If such houses can be stop-
ped, half the crimes will disappear. Number of
lunatics will greatly decrease. In fact such an act
will confer a great boon to the society.
69. People are not consulted. Yes, ought to
be.
70. Yes, there is, and it should be stopped.
People generally smuggle these drugs from Native
States.
Oral evidence.
Question 1.—I am a native of Lower Bengal. I
have been in the Punjab for twelve years as a
Master in the Majitha School. It is a Middle
School, teaching up to the Middle School examina-
tion standard.
Most of the conversations to
which I refer in my first answer were held by me
after I got the questions of the Commission. The
Hospital Assistant at Majitha has just lost his
post through his indulgence in charas and bhang
and (occasionally) alcohol—very rarely alcohol.
I had many conversations with him.
There are between twenty-five and thirty people
in Majitha who do nothing but smoke charas and
drink bhang They have special places where they
smoke and drink all day long. They do so in the
shop and under a special banian tree, and near the
Devi's shrine by the tank and one or two other
places. They frequent these places constantly, and
indulge both habits. They are from 25 to about
60 years old. They are mostly married men; and
it is their families to which I refer.
Some of
them have their children in the school. Their
education is not free.
The relations pay, and if
there is property it is paid from it. The father
earns nothing; and if he is not a man of property
the relations pay.
Some are men of property.
The population of Majitha is over six thousand.
The experienced medical men to whom I refer
in this answer are the two Hospital Assist-
ants, i.e., the man who lost his appointment and
the man who is now at Majitha District Board
Dispensary.
Question 51.—I have no personal knowledge on
this subject. I have simply stated what I have
heard. I may have seen a case of crime resulting
from the use of the drug. I am under the im-
pression that I have seen such a case, but I can-
not remember it.
Question 68.—My answer here is the result of
a general impression.
I can give no cases of
actual crime. What I think is that if all houses
for sale of all intoxicants were stopped half the
crime would disappear. I have no experience or
cases however. It is just what I think. In using
the words " their preparations " I specially referred
to opium-smoking. I had that in my mind. I
am not referring specially to preparations of hemp
drugs.
What I have seen is that persons, who frequent
shops for the sale of intoxicants, become quite
disreputable and useless. What I know of the
effects of the drugs is what I have seen of these
twenty-five or thirty people who frequent these
shops. I think that is practically the limit of
my experience.
75. Evidence of THAKUR DAS , * Pleader, Hoshiarpur.
The hemp plant, from which ganja, charas and
other similar drugs are manufactured for the use
of men, proves ruinous to the consumers, and
therefore they should be strictly prohibited.
Although it is for medical men to explain how
the use of these drugs affects the mental and phy-
sical condition of the consumer, yet observation
and experience confirm the conclusions arrived
at as to the results ensuing (from the consump-
tion of these drugs on the consumers), that is,
pale and withered face, sunken cheeks and eyes,
and physical lassitude in the extreme.
* Invited to attend at a sitting of the Commission for oral examination, but failed to appear.