182
appetite and energy, and brings on premature
old age. The consumer consequently becomes a
mere skeleton and pitiable thing to look at, besides
being liable to mental derangement, as above stated.
51 and 52. My knowledge on this subject is
not much.
53. Yes; the excessive use of ganja or charas
is liable to lead one to acts of unpremeditated
violence and crime. I know two cases of tem-
porary violent mania where the men attacked tried
to beat anybody they came across.
54. I do not know.
55. Yes, the thug and roadside robber generally
use bhang as a thandai, which means a refrigerant,
if they can induce their victims to take it, and
generally mix it with dhatura. Complete stupefac-
tion can be induced by bhang without admixture.
56. The only admixture that shows its effect
is dhatura. It causes a peculiar kind of delirium,
something like delirium tremens; the man picks
at his bad clothes, and sees horrible objects, like
snakes, scorpions, etc. If the dose is a very large
one, he becomes drowsy and quite unconscious,
which might terminate in death, or temporary
madness and recovery.
57. I have not much experience. What little
I know, I have stated already.
Oral evidence.
Question 1.—I am an Assistant Surgeon in Gov-
ernment employ. I went through the five years'
course in the Lahore Medical College. I joined
the Government service in 1874. I spent the
first seven years in the Punjab, with a short time
in Madras on famine duty. I have the diploma
of L. M. S. I was deputed as student to the
Lahore Lunatic Asylum. I have had no other
special connection with asylums.
Question 19.—I have not seen the drug, which
is made up with "baloi," but I was told that
rich people distilled the oil for aphrodisiac pur-
poses. I did not learn by what process the oil was
distilled. I heard of it at Lucknow and Fyzabad.
Question 35.—In this answer I had arsenic as
well as dhatura in my mind among the other
drugs likely to be taken in place of the hemp
drugs. Arsenic is said to produce a slight intoxi-
cation. I have seen a man put about 4 rattis of
arsenic powder in his chillum, and ganja on the
top, and smoke it. From my knowledge of the
action of arsenic, I do not believe it is intoxicant.
Kauhen (oleander) might be used. The root has
properties like those of dhatura It is a drug
that is substituted by native druggists either
fraudulently or through ignorance for another
drug, which I cannot at the moment name. Digi-
talis does not act as an intoxicant, as far as I
know. I cannot say if nerium acts in the same
way as digitalis. My experience is that nerium
acts like dhatura. I speak from cases of alleged
nerium-poisoning, which I have seen. The action
is not uniform on the pupil, and in that it differs
from dhatura. I have been told that some exces-
sive consumers of the hemp drugs do already take
dhatura to strengthen the drink, and for that
reason, I say that it is likely to be substituted for
hemp if the latter were prohibited. People think
that the root of madar (Caleotropis gigantea) has
properties similar to hemp. I don't believe it
has these properties; but still, since the belief
exists, the drug might be resorted to for a time
at least. These alternative drugs might be used
mixed with tobacco, but the manner of using
would depend on the people's taste. I have not
heard of dhatura leaves being used.
The latter part of the answer describe the symp-
toms of a poisonous dose of a hemp drug, and
those symptoms would depend on the idiosyncrasy
of the consumer. The dilatation of the pupil is
a symptom which accompanies a poisonous dose;
but it is not on my own observation that I make
the statement. This symptom has been observed
by Dr. Taylor; but it was in a non-fatal case.
The symptoms I have described are present also in
dhatura poisoning; but sickness was absent in one
case which I can recall. The symptoms I have
described have been noted by other observers besides
Dr. Taylor, who have made a study of toxicology.
Question 44.—I have never seen a fatal case
of hemp drug poisoning. I do not remember to
have read of such a case observed by any one else.
The case in which the symptoms were observed
was one in which tincture of hemp was adminis-
tered to a lady in a small dose. She being very sus-
ceptible to its action showed symptoms which the
medical attendants thought likely to end in death.
The lady, however, recovered. This is Taylor's case.
Question 46.—Nearly every case of insanity
resulting from excessive use of the hemp drugs
takes the form of violent mania of a homicidal
or suicidal character. The whole of the first para-
graph of my answer refers, as a rule, to persons
of broken down constitution debilitated by pri-
vation. I have only seen two cases of the kind
of insanity described above. They are the cases
referred to in the second paragraph of answer 46
and in answer 53. I have seen one or two cases
of intoxication from an overdose of bhang, but I
have not seen any case of insanity from the use
of bhang. I should have said that consumers of
bhang are not likely to be affected with violent
mania. The last sentence of the answer may be
stated more clearly. I am of opinion that persons-
suffering from privation may become imbecile
through excessive use of bhang, and that the im-
becility will last as long as such privation and
indulgence continues. I have heard of one such
I case, but never seen any.
Question 50.—The description of the effects
of the drugs apply to all three drugs. It is not
inconsistent with my answers under 46. There
are degrees of excess. The Chaubes of Muttra
can, for instance, tolerate large doses of the drug,
and do not suffer in the way described in answer
50, because they are well-fed. I have in my mind
that kind of excess which I should describe as
hempomania, where a man neglects food, rest and
exercise, and is prepared to sell everything for
hemp. My answer applies to all three drugs.
The case of hempomania, I have described was first
noticed when I was a boy; but I have seen the
man since.
Question 53.—One of the cases alluded to came
under my notice at Umballa when I was a student.
There was there a Muhammadan fakir who con-
stantly frequented the drug shop. I had known
him since my childhood. In those days all drugs
were sold in the drug-shop ; but the man smoked
in the manner in which ganja and charas are
smoked. It was charas he used, I remember.
The fakir wore a mere rag of cloth round his
waist. I saw him one day turning about the
streets with a brick threatening to strike people
with it. He was in this excited state for two
hours. I cannot say if there was any admixture
in the charas. My impression is that there was
not. This is the most marked case I remember.
That was the only occasion on which I knew this
man to become insane. I call it temporary in-
sanity, not intoxication. I have known people to
be drunk in the streets, but they had a drunken