185
satisfying the insane longing produced by the want
of these drugs.
37. Bhang, Charas and ganja are almost alike
in their effects of intoxication. Bhang produces
strange hallucinations and delusions, and some
men are so mentally influenced by it that a small
figure appears to them to be a gigantic image,
and vice versd. The general effect that follows
from it on certain individuals is that they are
afraid of their own shadows, while the state of
the habitual drinkers remains almost unchange-
able ; and as to those who are not addicted to its
use, their association of ideas is always changing.
On the contrary, the charas and ganja smokers
are constant in their thoughts and resolutions.
39, The smoking of any of the preparations of
the hemp plant is more injurious than drinking or
eating the same. The reasons areas follows:—
According to the general principle of Materia
Medica, the nature and property of these drugs
are cold, dry and narcotic, and are likely to produce
mania and other brain diseases, such as insanity.
The other characteristics of the hemp plant are
that they confound the mind, darken the eye-
sight, weaken and deaden the power of sexual desire,
and make the whole physical system infirm and
weak ; they greatly affect the lungs. Under these
circumstances, the smoking of these drugs directly
affects the brain, which is usually followed by
brain diseases.
40. Bhang and charas are seldom prescribed on
account of their medicinal properties in certain
cases. Only bhang is used in the treatment of
cattle diseases.
41. None of the above things helps—
(a) in digestion.
(b) It is said it gives a staying-power under
severe exertion or exposure, and alle-
viates fatigue.
(c) Only bhang has been proved useful in re-
moving malarious and intermittent
fever. But in unhealthy tracts, the use
of all these drugs is often found useful.
(d) Charas is only used for the sake of increas-
ing staying-power, and bhang is used as
a stringent for motions and to cure piles.
42. In my opinion, even if it is taken in moder-
ate doses, it is injurious to health, as these drugs
for the most part contain the property of produc-
ing numbness, and, according to the principles of
Materia Medica, affect the vital parts.
44. The brains of the moderate habitual consum-
mers of charas are instantly influenced by it,
whereas the effect produced by bhang takes a long
time. They are not refreshing or exciting like
alcoholic liquors ; their effect is merely narcotic,
producing sleep which is termed intoxication.
Only charas can allay hunger for the time being.
Appetite is created if it is used after meals.
As the intoxication of bhang concentrates the
mind, consequently the consumer is wholly im-
mersed or engrossd in the business to which his
attention is directed. In like manner, if he has
a tendency for food, he goes on eating and eating,
but in reality he has no true appetite. The effect
of bhang intoxication lasts at the most six or
seven hours, and at least two or three hours.
The effect of charas lasts at the most four
hours, and at least two hours. The effect of these
drugs is dependent upon the strength and habit
of the consumer.
45. The habitual moderate use of charas pro-
duces noxious effects—physical, mental, and moral.
If we go into the root of the matter, we shall at
once discover that it impairs the constitution.
To my knowledge neither does it injure the diges-
tion nor cause loss of appetite. In my opinion
bhang produces neither of these diseases, but
ganja and charas produce bronchitis and asthma.
Without doubt it impairs the moral sense, produces
laziness, and leads to the habit of debauchery in
the case of young men. It is said that people of
the criminal class who intend to commit a crime
generally use charas in order that they may
remain persistent in their objects. It deadens the
intellect and produces insanity. I have known a
few cases in which the exciting cause of insanity
was charas; two of these had their effect permanent,
and the one temporary. The chief symptoms were
that the former were talking nonsense, but did no
harm ; and the latter was of a dangerous type, and
always kept quiet. In these three cases, as far
as I can remember, the chief causes were as above
referred to.
46. Many persons have come under my notice
who turned mad on account of the excessive use
of these drugs. Some suffered from mania;
others from insanity; from the treatment they
got recovery; but again relapsing into the
inveterate habit of using these drugs, their
disease was beyond the power of medicine to cure.
A certain man used to swallow one-fourth of a
seer of bhang with sugar without going into the
process of washing. This turned him mad, and
he died. The excessive consumers undergo more
pain and trouble than those who take it moder-
ately.
47. So far as my experience goes, I can say
that the effects of these drugs are always trans-
mitted into their children, who are born in the
course of intoxication. By this is meant that
their children have a close inclination towards
these drugs, and it has also been observed that
the charas-consumers are unfortunate in not
being blessed with progeny, and the children,
if born, of such parents are found insane. On
the other hand, bhang-consumers are very seldom
seen childless. I have witnessed the son of a
certain bhang-eater who was naturally a drunkard
and whose eyes had constant redness like that of
his father. He was always in a state of stupor.
48. The excessive consumers also meet with
the same fate.
49. The moderate use of these drugs produces
at the outset sexual appetite, and in the end it
destroys it in toto.
Of the numbers of habitual consumers, there
is scarcely one woman out of every hundred
consumers of charas, although a few use bhang
for the sake of amusement, not to excite their
sexual appetite.
In my opinion, in the case of people who use
them for the aforesaid purposes, the consequences
are more pernicious than the effects on people
who ordinarily use them for intoxication. The
reason is obvious that in the state of intoxication
it aggravates sexual desire, and helps the staying-
power in the course of cohabitation. The result
follows that the semen does not reach the state
of maturity before its emission, and thus brings
on physical weakness. The use of bhang does
not render man impotent.
50. The excessive use of bhang does to a certain
extent some harm to sexual powers, but the
excessive use of charas and ganja have a hurtful
effect upon semen, which loses its fertilising
powers, and even such powers are done away with.
56. The effects of bhang (a) to moderate
consumers produce laziness and muddling of
vol. V.
2 E