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140. Evidence of LANKA KRISTNIENGAR, Vaishnava Brahmin, Chairman, Munici-
pal Council, Srirangam, Trichinopoly District.
1. I have given my answers from information
got by me from persons who eat or smoke hemp
drugs, and from native doctors.
3. I have not heard that hemp plant grows
spontaneously in this district. It appears that it
is imported from northern countries. I have seen
a few ganja plants grown and reared up in
Muhammadan mosques, and in flower gardens.
14. (a) Ganja is the dried flowering portion of
the plant from which the gum or resin has not
been removed.
(b) Charas is the resin or the gum removed
from the leaves, stems and flowers.
(c) Bhang is the larger leaves and the covers
of the seed or capsules.
All these are prepared in Trichinopoly and in
Srirangam.
16. I am told that bhang is prepared with
ganja, pepper and jaggery, in houses and sold in
bazars in small balls, which the people buy and
eat.
19. I have seen ganja used for smoking, but
not the charas.
20. I have seen chiefly the bairagis who travel
about the countries on pilgrimages from the
north, and the religious mendicants, and also
Muhammadans as a class smoke ganja freely and
frequently, but not the charas.
24. I know and have personally seen a Smartha
Brahmin (Sivite) eat ganja and a bairagi drink
ganja prepared as follows :—
The Brahmin used to bring a pollum or 3
rupees weight of ganja, keep with it half the
weight of pepper, and grind both well like wax
and making it in two or three small balls eat it.
The bairagi used to boil 2 pollums weight of
ganja in water, and, after washing it well, grind
the boiled hemp of the ganja, and then dilute it in
two seers of boiled cow-milk, and after straining it
two or three times in a piece of thin cloth, mix some
white sugar in it and then drink. The Brahmin
and the bairagi both were doing so every day
once.
25. I do not know.
28. I have heard that the average cost is be-
tween one and two annas per diem.
32. Socially and religiously the smoking or
eating ganja and bhang in any form is condemned
among the higher classes of Hindus, Brahmins
especially.
33. Religious people treat the person using or
eating ganja as immoral or impious, because it
produces intoxication. I don't know, nor have I
heard, that any hemp plant is worshipped by any
sect of people.
39. Smoking the hemp plant is said to be less
injurious than drinking or eating the same in any
other form ; for eating or drinking of the ganja
produces irritation in the stomach at times, and
induces the person to repeat the dose to check the
irritation.
40. There are several medical works in Tamil,
Telugu and Sanskrit, in which the ganja is
prescribed as a drug to be mixed up in confections
prepared of various seeds and herbs, and bazar
medicines to be given to increase appetite, to stop
diarrhœa, and to give vitality to the nerves ; and
also in ointment prepared for bathing to check
neuralgia. I have not read these books, but was
told by native physicians. I have not heard that
any of these drugs are used in treating cattle
diseases.
41 and 42. The consumers of these drugs say that
a moderate use of them is beneficial and harm-
less.
43. The bairagis and the religious mendicants
who are moderate consumers of ganja have been,
to my knowledge, quite harmless.
44. The habitual eater of ganja, the above said
Smartha Brahmin, is to become cheerful after
taking it. He has told me that it is refreshing.
I have never found him intoxicated. He has said
that the appetite is increased by it. After taking
ganja he used to become jolly and begin singing
Tamil songs, repeating Sanskrit slokams and
telling witty and laughable stories to pass the
time of his hearers. He will be doing this for two
hours ceaselessly and then go to sleep. He will
have six hours' sound sleep. He is to feel a great
longing and uneasiness if he did not take ganja
every day once. All these I have seen in person.
One or two bairagis have told me that it allays
the hunger, and they can live upon smoking alone
ganja, once in an hour or two, without taking any
meals for a whole day.
45. I have not heard that it produces noxious
effects, either physical, mental or moral.
49. Yes ; I have heard that it is used as an
aphrodisiac. Chiefly the confection called Purnathi
is made and given by native doctors for it.
51. I do not know.
53. I have not heard, nor do I know it.
54. I do not know.
55. I have heard that petty thieves or pick-
pockets stupefy children with these drugs mixed
up in sweetmeats, and entice them to lonely places
and rob them of their ornaments and clothes.
141. Evidence of MR. W. TAYLOR, Chairman, Municipal Council, Parlakimedi,
Ganjam District.
1. Twenty-six years residence in India. Inter-
course with natives of India of all castes and
classes.
3. In none. Cultivation is always necessary,
as far as I can learn.
14. Yes, ganja everywhere in large quantities.
Bhang in a few places only ; but it can be gene-
rally purchased cheap.
16. Yes, by the people in their houses generally.
Bhang can be prepared from the hemp plant
wherever grown. Ganja only from the young
buds which come at certain seasons.
19. Ganja is smoked, and used in many other
forms and preparations as medicine.
20. Ganja is used moderately by about 10 per
cent. of all classes of the people. But more