60
Asylum by the Magistrate. I cannot be certain
whether there was any family history in this case.
He had gone off his head several times before, but
had done no act of violence. He was regarded as
dangerous in this state. His friends ascribed
this to ganja, and (I think) said that he took no
liquor ; but he may have taken liquor.
My Assistant ; Rai Bahadur Dinanath, tells me
that the case he mentions in his answer No. 52
(which is similar to my Bilaspur case) was a
Chanda case, which occurred about four years ago
when he was there.
Question 53.—I know of some cases in which a
man died suddenly while taking ganja. I remem-
ber three cases. I did not see any of them; but
the cases have been reported to me. There was an
inquest in each case ; but I know that none of
them was sent for post mortem. It was said in
each case that the man was a habitual excessive
smoker. One dropped into the fire he was sitting
by. I remember one case at least of a report of a
man dropping dead after a deep inhalation while
smoking tobacco. There was no post mortem. I
have had several cases of death from spirit drink-
ing, principally from exposure, lying out in the
cold night, and also from excessive drink. So
far as I remember, the three ganja cases were not
men physically weak or in want. One of them
was a dooly-bearer. This class uses ganja large-
ly. The people thought that it was " the very
long pull " that killed. I remember that this was
specially said by the people in one or two of the
cases. It was the long pull before passing the
chillum to another member of the party. I think
there was no rush of blood from the mouth in any
of these cases ;itwas not mentioned_
I cannot recall any special case of homicidal
frenzy arising from the excessive use of ganja.
But I have heard of fifteen or twenty, or pro-
bably double that number of cases of persons
arrested in a violent condition and prevented from
doing harm by detention in asylums, etc. These
cases were attributed to ganja. It may have been
bhang; but this is little used here. Ganja is
generally taken as ganja (smoked) or majum.
refer to the cases sent up to asylums in which
men are described as insane ; their insanity is
attributed to ganja, and they are described as
"dangerous to the public,"
Sometimes they have been found with weapons
in their hands. I cannot, speaking generally,
refer such cases to any particular class ; but they
are principally among the low class of Hindus.
In a few instances I verified the reports. I have
often asked whether there was any admixture;
and sometimes the friends have acknowledged that
the man was addicted to two or three different
drugs. When such cases come up before me, I
send them on to the Magistrate with complete
report. If I have opportunity at the time I make
inquiry locally. I am, however, generally bound
to be content with examining the people who come
up with the man. I enquire whether he used
other drugs. I also sometimes ask about whether
he has been previously insane or any other
member of his family. I do not conduct other
special enquiry. If excessive use of ganja is
proved, I consider that a satisfactory explanation
of his insanity. If the man is under the observa-
tion of the civil Surgeon, he often asks me about
points in the case. I then make enquiry if I am
in camp near the place and send in the results.
This would depend on whether the original report
was full enough in details. If a man goes on to
the asylum, no such further inquiry is made. I
do not fill up the special form. I merely report
in my own language. The question of taking
ganja and that regarding family history of in-
sanity have been referred back to me when I have
not given that information I therefore generally
do give that information. I would not think of
asking about epilepsy, syphilis, or injury to the
head, not being a medical man. I would not
thus go into the history of the ease. Nor do I
go into the question of malarial fever.
Question 54.—I think that ganja or bhang
taken to give Dutch courage is not mixed. I
have known such instances. It is taken precisely
as a liquor drinker takes liquor. Men not infre-
quently take whatever intoxicant they use to
fortify themselves for any serious undertaking
such as a difficult burglary or an agrarian riot. By
the words " wishing to run amok," I mean that
the man has made up his mind to commit a
specific murder or crime of violence. The intoxi-
cant is taken that a man may not turn back from
hi s purpose. I t hi nk t hat l i quor i s more oft en
used than any other intoxicant. I cannot recall
any special instance at present of such use of
hemp drugs or other intoxicants. But the cases
are constantly coming up.
Question 55.—The Khurai (Saugor) case
mentioned by my Assistant, Rai Bahadur
D i n a - n a t h , i n a n s w e r i n g q u e s t i o n 5 5 i s n o t k n o w nt
o
me. It occurred either in 1891 or 1892. I
think that the Rai Bahadur is right in saying
that the hemp drugs alone will not " affect the
brain," if he means that they will not stupefy
without admixture.
Question 45-The excessive use of ganja is,
I think, injurious to the brain. The moderate
smokers are far in the majority. I should say
five or ten per cent, of consumers are excessive
consumers. Perhaps between thirty or forty per
cent, of adult males use hemp drugs. I think
that about three per cent. of the adult male popu-
lation are excessive consumers. By excessive
use I mean the use which affects the mind, i.e.,
where the consumer takes more than is good for
him, as we speak of an excessive drinker. I do
not think the moderate use of ganja is more
harmful than the moderate use of tobacco or
liquor. I think, however, that more men lose
their reason from ganja than from liquor. In
fact, the first question I ask about a lunatic is
whether he takes ganja. I was in Bilaspur three
years as District Superintendent of Police. I had
six hundred men under me. One man was dis
missed for excessive ganja smoking during that
period. He went off his head and became violent
for a fortnight at a time two or three times. He
was a Brahman and a wrestler, a very powerful
man. The dismissal was reported, and the cause
was probably also reported, to the Inspector
General.
There was a case in which my predecessor at
Saugor, on 25th June 1890, reported a constable
as having become insane, and had his name struck
off as he had escaped from hospital and gone off
to Rai Bareilly, I produce the report in which
my predecessor attributes the insanity to ganja.
There have been two other dismissals within the
last three or four years, which, I am informed by
the Inspector, were due to insanity attributed to
ganja. One of the men is still at Saugor in a
semi-insane state. The Saugor police are one
thousand in number. My experience is that about
one such case occurs in two years in such a
district as Saugor.