340
meaning milk in Hindustani, is its constant ingre-
dient, although the beverage is prepared in more
ways than one. Ramarasam is the Dravidian
synonym for the same. Muhammadans, bairagis
(pandarams or ascetics), Maharatta Sudras, Guj-
arati Sudras and Pariahs are the class mostly
addicted to the hemp drugs. Rarely the middle
and upper classes of Hindus use them on gala
days. The districts in which the drugs are most
extensively used are—Ganjam, Vizagapatam, G oda-
vari, Kistna, North Arcot, Bellary, South Canara,
Malabar, Madras City, Tanjore, Trichinoply and
Salem. I think about a fourth of the population of
this presidency use the drugs at the least.
I think the use of the hemp drugs is on the
increase for the simple reason that it is spreading
among the middle and upper classes, particularly of
the districts named above.
The only ingredients that are mixed with the
drugs are opium and dhatura.
Social customs.—On gala days, such as mar-
riage or other festive occasions, which are many in
the year, or when jolly good companions think
of going to the native drama, they use these
drugs as stimulants.
Religious customs.—During Muharram or other
religious occasions, Muhammadans make use of
them plentifully. So do the Hindus during
the Dasera festival in particular.
The practice of consuming these drugs is not
at all based on any social or religious grounds. The
drugs are used solely for their stimulating and in-
toxicating properties.
In Southern India there is no custom of
worshipping the hemp plant by any sect what-
ever.
It is perfectly feasible to prohibit the use
of the hemp drugs except for bond fide medical
purposes. It will not occasion any serious
discontent; and hence there is no occasion for
any political danger. The prohibition will not be
followed by greater recourse to alcoholic stimu-
lants than at present. It may lead to more
free use of tobacco for smoking, chewing, as
well as for snuffing. By way of explanation it
may be mentioned that among the lower classes,
who are mostly manual labourers, the use of alco-
holic stimulants has all along been a necessity on
grounds of economy and of health ; but the causes
of the abuse of alcoholic stimulants, as well as their
sphere of action, are altogether different, and hence
have no bearing on the subject on hand, contact with
foreign nations being solely responsible for the
abuse of alcoholic stimulants among the middle
and upper classes who are least fitted to withstand
the baneful effects of the stimulants owing to
their sedentary habits as well as their vegetable
diet in the large majority of cases.
Except when prescribed as medicine, even
moderate use is not only not beneficial to health
but positively harmful in its effects.
45. I have seen patients under the influence
of ganja. In regard to homicidal violence, I
have seen no homicide committed nor homicidal
violence; but I have seen violence. I have also
known many instances of people accustomed to
the use of ganja who have been insane for months
together. They have not been sent to the asylum.
I know about a dozen cases in respect to which
I was told that insanity was due to ganja. I
have had no such case of insanity under my own
treatment. The cases I knew were in South
Canara in my own village eight years ago before
I was practising medicine. There were four such
cases in that one village. These are the four
I know best. I have not been back there since.
During the time I have been practising I have
never come across a case of insanity produced
by the drug. My visits to Canara were only
occasional during my five years of study ; so that.
my knowledge of these four cases may be regard-
ed as only hearsay knowledge. It is because
the facts of a man's life in a village are well
known, and because when the ganja consumer
is under restraint and cannot get ganja he gets
better, it is on these grounds that we think the
insanity is due to the ganja ; but in order to
come to a perfectly satisfactory conclusion in
any particular case, some personal observation
would be necessary. I did not make such obser-
vation in any case.
There are many more lunatics from all causes
in the country than the asylum returns show.
Therefore there are more lunatics in the country
whose insanity is due to hemp drugs than are
found in the asylums. I think that you may take
the proportion of hemp drug insanes to total in-
sanes in the country as the same as that in the
asylums. I think there are 500 to 800 admissions
from all causes to the three asylums of this
presidency every year. I think those from hemp
drugs would be 50 to 60, rather under 10 per
cent.
59. I am decidedly of opinion that, if possible,
there should be further restrictions in regard to
these drugs. At present there are hardly any. I
regard increased taxation of the drug as a justifi-
able means of increasing restriction. I should like
to see restriction on cultivation, manufacture.
transport and sale, as indicated in my paper.I
have nothing to add. I think the number of
shops here is too large for the city of Madras. I
have been visiting these shops—I mean the places
where the preparations are sold, not the drug in the
crude form. From their situation and hygienic
surroundings they may be called dens. They
are kept by people who sell preparations, and
these ready-made preparations (in solid or liquid
form) are consumed (smoked and drunk, as the
case may be) on the premises. I saw, for example,
dudhia sold (a liquor preparation of ganja). I
have seen half a dozen such places in Triplicane
suburb alone, Opium is also sold in these shops,
not country spirits. I do not think they are re-
, cognized by the Government*; but they are known
to those who frequent them and can be searched
out. Such shops should be abolished altogether,
prohibited by law. I do not think it is difficult
to tell the opium-smoker from the ganja-smoker.
The ganja-smoker is generally in very high spirits,
and, moreover, when the opium-smoker lets out
the smoke we can smell opium in it. The opium-
smoker is quieter. I saw in the same room people
smoking opium and others smoking ganja. To-
bacco was used with both drugs. But with the
opium there is a solid preparation for smoking,
I saw both ganja and opium. The pipes are
and Dr. Rungappa failed to substantiate the statement
Oral evidence.
1. I am a graduate in medicine (M. B.) of the
Madras University. I am a private practitioner.
I have been practising eight years, mainly in
Madras. I have had no special experience of
insanity. In the Medical Jurisprudence class
there are lectures in the Medical College on insa-
nity. There were forty lectures on the whole
subject of Medical Jurisprudence. I forget how
many dealt with insanity. There was no clinical
instruction on insanity.
A full enquiry was made on the subject of the shops
made by him before the Commission.