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of the intellect, and but seldom to permanent in-
sanity.
40. Yes ; baids and hakims generally prescribe
bhang poultices to relieve pain, and native jeras
(surgeons) administer bhang internally as an an-
esthetic before performing the operation of cir-
cumcision, and agriculturists administer bhang in
the form of a bolus to their cattle in cases of dys-
pepsia and colds and coughs.
41. (a) Bhang is used as a digestive. The
Brahmins, who are notorious gormandisers, always
drink bhang before going to a dinner party in
order to eat voraciously.
(b) Under severe exertion, and after exposure,
bhang does give staying-power and alleviates fa-
tigue.
(c) I have known baids administering bhang in
cases of malarial fevers.
42. Moderate use of bhang is harmless, inasmuch
as it creates appetite, alleviates fatigue, and makes
the consumer forget, so long as the effect lasts, all
cares and troubles.
44. The immediate effect of bhang on a moderate
consumer is refreshing. It does produce intoxica-
tion, which does not last long.
There are no bad after-effects. Bhang is almost
always used in the afternoon after a hard day's
work. The consumer eats better and sleeps better,
and gets up in the morning quite refreshed, and
resumes his daily work quite cheerfully. But such
is not the case with the charas smoker. After the
effect is over he becomes lazy, and feels quite ex-
hausted and uneasy and a lodging for the gratifica-
tion. But in case of bhang drinkers, the longing
and uneasiness are not so great.
45. Charas.—Even the habitual moderate use
of charas brings on chest affection, and incapacita-
tes the consumer for work. Mentally, charas im-
pairs the intellect, and may bring on insanity.
Morally, it makes him despicable and shameless,
and, being incapable for work, he either takes to
thieving or begging alms.
When charas produces insanity it is generally
temporary, and the symptoms may be re-induced
by use of the drug after liberation from restraint.
The insanity is of the type of melancholia or de-
mentia. There are no typical symptoms that I
know of.
46. Since the habitual moderate use of charas is
injurious physically, mentally, and morally, the habi-
tual excessive use of the drug must bring on those
symptoms in an aggravated form and in less time.
47 and 48. The habit is not hereditary, nor does
it affect in any way the children of the moderate
consumer.
49. Bhang is used as an aphrodisiac, and is
generally so used by prostitutes. When used as
an aphrodisiac it soon brings on impotency and
general nervous exhaustion for obvious reasons.
56. When the ingredients mentioned in answer
29 are mixed with bhang the taste of the potation
becomes pleasant and the effect less injurious, as
the ingredients act as tonic and stomachic.
I
have known dhatura being mixed with bhang, both
for personal consumption and for administration to
others : in the former case to enhance the effect of
the drug, and in the latter to poison.
57. Charas is never eaten or drunk in the
Punjab, but is always smoked,
Oral evidence.
Question 1.—I took my L. M. S. degree in the
Calcutta Medical College in 1858. I was for two
years House Physician in the Medical College Hos-
pital, Calcutta, and was then transferred to the
Punjab. With the exception of 10 or 11 months,
I have been stationed entirely at Lahore. I have
no special training in, or experience of, insanity.
Question 36.—In this answer by the " village
distillery system " I mean the system by which
liquor can be made in almost any large village.
Bather, I mean that there are liquor shops in
almost every village. This system, I believe, was
introduced some 20 years ago. I believe that the
number of shops goes on increasing every year. I
speak in this answer principally of the city of
Lahore and its suburbs and the adjacent villages,
and I believe that in this area the shops go on in-
creasing every year. As regards the adjacent vil-
lages my information is only hearsay. In regard to
the city and suburbs it is a general observation, but
I have not collected statistics. I regard the sub-
stitution of alcohol for bhang and charas as a
matter of regret. Charas, but not bhang, may be
as harmful as alcohol.
Question 37.—I remember having seen dhobies
and other people in Calcutta smoke—some ganja
and some charas. It is this experience which
enables me to compare the effects of ganja and
charas. Ganja is generally smoked mixed, with
tobacco, while charas, a bit about the size of a pea,
is smoked in a small chillum placed on the huka
without anything mixed with it. Charas is smoked
very vehemently, and the immediate effect of it is
much more strong than that of ganja. Charas is
pure resinous matter, while ganja comprises also
the tops of the flowers. I have seen people taking
charas unable to go about and do their work for
some hours, while people who take ganja, after
coughing for 10 or 15 minutes, can go and do their
work. Ganja is more irritant than charas, and
people go on coughing from it for 10 or 15 minutes.
Ganja irritates the air-tubes more than charas does,
but charas affects the nerves more.
Question 45.—I do believe that even the moder-
ate use of charas may cause insanity. The basis of
this opinion is that in my experience "charasis"
as a rule become very irritable. I call 10 or 12
chillums, costing 1 or 2 annas, in the 24 hours
moderate use. I know of no more moderate use
than that. I know of no case of a man using
only one or two chillums a day. I would call a
man taking 1 or 2 annas worth a day a " charasi."
Question 56.—I have known of many cases of
dhatura being mixed with bhang, especially by
fakirs. I have personally treated three such cases
for symptoms of dhatura poisoning, but know of
other cases of the use of dhatura with bhang be-
sides these three. I know of these cases because
fakirs are in the habit of congregating in the cold
weather outside the Taxali gate and outside the
city near Ratan Chand's garden. These fakirs
take bhang, and almost always mix dhatura with
it, especially, they say, for devotional purposes. I
believe they generally mix dhatura with the bhang
to enhance the intoxication. The fakir thinks the
more intoxicated he is, the more ho will be ab-
stracted from the world, and the more able to
devote himself, body and soul, to God. These
people very seldom use charas.
Bhang is very generally used in the Punjab,
and I think for very good purposes. I mean the
purposes stated in answer 41.
vol. v.
3 N 2