279
which I specially desired information. Thus, if
the entry regarding hereditary history were blank,
I should take every opportunity that offered of
inquiring into it, because the chance of recovery
depends so much on heredity.
As a rule, and subject to these exceptions, the
entries are copied at once into the general register
from the Magistrate's papers. If If o u n d a m o r e
probable cause than that assigned by the Magis
-trate, I should alter the entry. I do not remem
- b e r e v e r a l t e r i n g a n e n t r y i n t h i s A s y l u m . B u t
I remember making such an alteration several
times in Madras. I remember specially the case
of a Eurasian who had hereditary taint in the
Madras Asylum. But it is much more difficult
to get such information in the case of a native;
if any one could get it.
I remember getting information from an old
woman (mother or grandmother) of the lunatic P.
Narasimham, admitted in 1892, that the patient's
grandfather was insane. I think it would have
been more valuable to have shown that as a case
of heredity than of ganja insanity ; but I observe
that the latter entry has not been altered in the
register. The point, of course, is chiefly one of
personal interest to me in the treatment of the
case. An entry was made on the papers. I
omitted to alter the register. At the same time
I think that the register should have been altered,
as the question of recoveries from certain types is
important.
I do not think that the entries in the Form C
as to cause are reliable. The relatives are not
generally able to give valuable information, and
the Magistrates who get the inforation are not
able to judge what is valuable information. I
might illustrate this by saying that it is not un-
usual to find that a lunatic who comes in with
cause "unknown" or some other cause assigned
is an epileptic. Epilepsy is most important as a
cause and also in relation to cure. I think also that
if a Magistrate hears any mention of ganja the
cause goes down as ganja. I do not, therefore.
think that Statement VII appended to the annual
report can be regarded as at all a satisfactory
basis on which to rest any conclusion as to the
connection between hemp drugs and insanity.
I have not given any replies in my paper to
questions 45 and 46 as to the effects of hemp
drugs, because I do not know them. I have
failed to observe any physical signs in those who
use the drags. While in charge of the Madras
Asylum, I endeavoured to ascertain typical
symptoms of hemp drug insanity, but failed. I
have said that I place little reliance on the cause
of insanity as assigned by the Magistrate. I
should say that the diagnosis of hemp drug
insanity in any case must be based solely on
cause. By that I mean that without a his-
tory of the drug there can be no such diagnosis.
I attach specially little weight to the allegation
of ganja as a cause in Form C, because there is a
popular idea that ganja causes insanity, and if the
Magistrate heard of ganja he would probably enter
it at once. I should myself have put down ganja
as the cause of insanity in any case where I exam.
fined the friends, if they merely said the man
used ganja and I could get no other cause, as I
did not discriminate between the excessive and
moderate use. I should go much more carefully
into the matter now, since I have, in the course of
the present inquiry, learned so much more about
the use of the drugs.
Question
45.—Explanation.— The Hospital
Assistant informed me that each of these seven
men smoked tobacco in a way that indicated that
he was a ganja smoker. There were, therefore,
seven men who were ganja smokers; but I did
not mean to say that the insanity in these seven
cases was due to ganja. There are only three
patients now in the asylum who are shown in the
registers as having their insanity due to hemp
drugs.
88. Evidence of SURGEON-MAJOR CIIATTERJIE, Medical Officer in charge 13th
Madras Infantry, Cannanore.
14. They are not grown here, but I have seen
them grown largely in Lower Bengal, where I
gained my experience in these drugs. In almost
every house where Hindustanis are employed, a
patch of ground near the servants' quarters is cul
- t i v a t e d a n d g a n j a p l a n t s a r e g r o w n . T h e s e p l a n t s
are chiefly used for making bhang from the green
leaves.
15. The ganja usually sold in the bazars comes
from up-country, Lucknow and Delhi. The wild
plant is said to be of little or no use. Ganja is
the dried flowering tops of the female plant Can
- n a b i s s a t i v u s ,
n a t u r a l o r d e r
U r t i c e œ ,
s u b - o r d e r
C a n -
nabinaceœ. A little of the top, about an inch, is
broken off ; the seeds and stalks are thrown away,
and the rest made into a hard paste with a little
water well rubbed in the palm of the left hand by
the right thumb. This is put in an earthen chillum
and smoked either through a huka or between the
palms of the hands.
Charas is or ought to be only the resinous ex
- u d a t i o n o f t h e h e m p p l a n t , b u t i t i s s e l d o m o r
never pure. It is smoked with goorakoo or tobacco
and treacle paste ; usually smoked by natives. It
is not very strong in action, perhaps owing to its
being seldom what its pretends to be.
Bhang is the larger leaves and capsules of the
hemp plant. It is made from the green plant,
and often the people who use them make up a
large number of balls and dry them in the sun for
future use. Bhang is prepared in the following
way : The green leaves, sometimes even the
tender stalks and capsules, are ground into a stiff
paste in a stone mortar with a wooden pestle. To
make it more intoxicating a few seeds of dhatura are
often added. When the paste is smooth it is
made into a drink by the addition of milk, water,
sugar, etc according to fancy. An ordinary dose
is a teacupful, but often a quart is taken by a
seasoned vessel.
There is one very important preparation of the
Indian hemp which is not mentioned in these
questions. I mean majum, a kind of sweetmeat,
composed of bhang, ghee, sugar and spices. The
ingredients, at least their exact proportions, are a
secret of the trade, as it is said in Calcutta that
only one man could prepare the majum properly in
the whole of India ; that man lives at Delhi, form
where the best majum comes. This is the only
preparation which is often eaten by comparatively
well-educated people of the better class owing to
its aphrodisiac properties. Before going to bed a