403
washed away with water five or six times,
and the seeds, if any, will be removed and then
dried for a little while. It will then be put in a
pipe and burnt with a little fire over it, and the
smoke produced by the combustion will be taken
into.
16. Bhang can be prepared by the people in
their houses, who are accustomed to drink it. The
process of preparing bhang is this:— Bhang is
prepared either with milk or with water. Bhang
with water is generally used. Four tolas of ganja
is heated with fire and pounded well, and then mixed
in one seer of water, and then half a tola cardamoms
and one tola pepper is also pounded and mixed in
the same water and then drunk. The same
process is adopted in the case of bhang prepared
with milk.
17. It is not restricted to any particular class
of people.
18. Ganja and bhang deteriorate by keeping
after they are prepared according to the process
above defined, and they quite lose their effect
if they are kept more than three hours. They
cannot be kept good with any amount of care
after that time. No special measures can be taken
to prevent deterioration.
Charas does not deteriorate, as it is of the
similar stamp with opium.
In a medical point of view, hemp drugs are to
a certain extent useful to the people at large. It
will not injure a man if it is moderately used.
Excessive use of it will reduce a man in health.
It affects the person using it, but not others, as
other liquors as toddy, etc. A man will never be
bereft of his senses by using ganja or bhang.
1 9 . G a n j a i s u s e d f o r s m o k i n g a n d f o r m e d i c i n e s .
Charas is not known to us. Ganja is prevalent in
the districts, Ganjam, Vizag, Kristna and Godavari
to some extent.
20. Ganja is used by all classes of people in-
discriminately in Northern Circars. The propor-
tion of the people using it is a little less than 1/16
part of the people.
21. Flat ganja is preferred for smoking in this
part of the country.
22. We do not know anything about this.
23. Bhang is prepared either with water or
milk, and so it can never be used for smoking.
We cannot restrict it to any place or to any class
of people. It is used to a very small extent.
24. There is no restriction of class or caste.
The proportion is a little less than 1/16 part.
25.
Some people get themselves accustomed to
it out of mere wantonness, and some others out of
necessity.
26. Cannot give so very exactly the proportion
of these different consumers.
27.
Some people take it for medicine, others
use it for pleasure. Hindu ascetics generally use
it because it keeps the mind of a man steady.
Furthermore, they use it with the object of keep-
ing good health, as they lead a wandering life.
The main object of these Hindu ascetics in smok-
ing ganja or in drinking bhang excessively is to
subside their passions.
28. Habitual moderate consumers use one tola
of ganja per diem, which costs one-half anna.
Habitual excessive consumers use two tolas of
ganja per diem, which costs one anna. I cannot
give the limit of ganja consumed by the Hindu
ascetics, because it supplies the place of food in
their case.
vol. vi.
29. Some people use tobacco also in smoking
ganja, but Hindu ascetics use it without any other
ingredient. Some people mix dhatura in bhang,
being desirous of having greater intoxication.
Bhang massala is nothing but bhang prepared
with milk or water, in which they mix costly
spices. This bhang massala is generally drunk by
rich people.
30. These three drugs are used mostly in com-
pany. In respectable classes, females never use
these drugs; but, females of lower orders, such
as jugglers, etc., use it. This practice is prevalent
in Northern India. Children never use these
drugs. Old people generally use it because it
nerves the body of a man.
31. ( a ) This habit of consuming any of these
drugs is not easily formed, because it will not
agree with some constitutions. Constant and per-
sisting use of it puts a man in the habit of con-
suming these drugs.
(b) It is very difficult to break off.
(c) These drugs have not got that tendency of
developing the moderate habit into the excessive.
32. The social custom of offering ganja or
bhang in receiving friends or relatives is prevalent
in Northern India where these drugs are largely
used. This custom is essential, just as people of
Southern India offer betel leaves and nuts. It is
generally temperate. It is not at all injurious, but
leads to the formation of the habit.
33. The consumption of these drugs is not
generally regarded in Southern India, where people
are accustomed to consume tobacco. The majority
of the people use tobacco, but in Northern India,
where people are much given to this practice, re-
gard it in high estimation. I do not know of
people of any sect who worship the hemp plant.
34. It is not at all a serious privation to any
class of consumers to forego the consumption of
the drug they use.
35. Of course it would be feasible for the Gov-
ernment to prohibit the use of any or all of these
drugs by passing an enactment. The prohibition
of using these drugs occasions a sort of discontent
among the consumers, who are very little in num-
ber in this part of the country. It would not
amount to a political danger, as the number of con-
sumers is very little.
36. Certainly alcohol is now being substituted
for these drugs; it is feasible to prohibit. I now
strongly speak that alcohol is much more injurious
than these drugs. Alcohol entirely makes a man
bereft of his senses when taken excessively. On
the other hand, these hemp drugs are not injurious
to others, but to its consumers.
37. I cannot state the difference between the
effects of charas smoking and ganja smoking, as
charas is not at all known to this part of country.
38. Round ganja produces much heat upon the
constitution of a man, whereas flat ganja produces
less heat.
Chur is not known to this part, and so we can-
not give its effects.
39. All these three preparations are equally
injurious.
40. ( a ) It is prescribed on account of its medi-
cinal qualities by some school of native doctors.
(b) I do not think it is used in the treatment of
cattle disease.
41. The moderate use of these three prepara-
tions is beneficial in its effects, as a food digestive,
3 H 2