278
black pepper, cinnamon, cardamoms, sugar and
milk.
30. Generally in company, confined to male sex.
They are given as medicine to children.
40. An extract and powder mixed with many
other ingredients are used in dysentery, bronchi-
tis and some other diseases. Said to be used to
tame elephants and horses.
42. There are at present in this district jail 14
men, out of a population of 180, who admit that
they smoke ganja. All are in excellent health.
45. Seven males out of 33 in the Waltair Asy-
lum are said to have been ganja smokers.
49. Said to be an aphrodisiac in small doses.
Used by bairagis to produce impotence.
Oral evidence.
Question 1.—I have been twenty years in India
in the service. I was in charge of the Lunatic
Asylum at Madras for over two years, and have
been in charge of the Waltair Asylum since April
1892. At home I was for four months Assistant
at the Somerset County Asylum. Apart from
that, I have had no special experience or training
in insanity. I have had charge of several jails as
Civil Surgeon. I am now in charge of the jail
here.
Question 27.— I have made an inquiry into the
use of hemp by the prisoners in the jail here. I
asked the Hospital Assistant and Jailor to find
out what men admitted the use of the drugs. I
thought the prisoners would be more ready to tell
the native officials in the first instance about their
habits. I then questioned each apart. I was
surprised to find how willingly the prisoners
admitted the use. There was no difficulty what-
ever. I found 18 cases in a male population
of 191. Of these, 4 had the habit of using
other intoxicants as well, and 14 admitted
the ganja habit only. Yesterday there were
11, 3 with the confessed double habit, in a male
population of 151. All the men admitted
before me quite readily. I have never been asked for
ganja by a prisoner ; but I have been repeatedly
asked for opium by those who use that drug. I do
not think that the failure to ask for ganja is due to
an y shame, for these 18 evinced no such
feeling. I know of no reason why they should
not ask for it. Some opium eaters have been dis-
covered who have never asked for the drug ; but
some confirmed opium eaters give great trouble. 1
conclude that the ganja habit can be much more
easily broken. I have had charge of jails for the
last eleven years almost continuously.
Of the 11 cases seen yesterday all but one
are cases of offences against property. That one
is a case of causing grievous hurt ; but the Judge
states in his judgment that the offence was commit
- e d w h i l e t h e m e n w e r e d r u n k , T h e r e c o r d s h o w s
that they had drunk toddy at a feast. I see nothing
whatever to connect the crimes in any of these
eases with flue ganja habit. Several are old
offenders, and all these told me that their first
offences were committed before they took to ganja.
I asked all these criminals as to how much they
used. They all denied becoming silly or senseless
from ganja. None of them admitted taking ganja
to excess. I used to think I could pick out an
opium smoker by his appearance ; but recent
inquiries have shown me that there are men of
perfectly healthy appearance who confess to the
habit. As to ganja, it was never brought to my
notice at all. So far as I am aware, there is
nothing special about the gauja smoker's physical
appearance. Before I received the questions
issued by the Commission I paid no attention to
ganja. I did not know it was a general habit to
use ganja. I had heard it was used in the hills,
but did not know it was used here. I had, of
course, no idea as to what would be moderate or
excessive use.
Question 29. —My statement that opium is
added to produce greater intoxication is based on
information given me by the Vizagapatam ganja
vendor. I visited the shop and made inquiries
from him. I did not gather that the mixture of
the two drugs was general. One or two prisoners
said they ate a little opium and then smoked their
ganja. I do not know why this is done.
I remember the case of the lunatic Kolagana
Ramamurti. I had had communication with the
Rev, Mr. Laflamme about the case. I felt the
man should not be released without having some
one to look after him. I remember that Mr.
Laflamme came in answer to my letter and spoke
to me about the blow on the head. I told him I
did not think that the blow could have been the
cause of insanity. 1 thought the evil treatment
by his relatives had more to do with it. I had
also heard that the man took liquor. I was con
- c e r n e d i n t e l l i n g M r . L a f l a m m e t h a t t h e b l o w o n
the head was not the probable cause of insanity
as he asked me that. I may have mentioned the
other possible causes. I have no recollection a
mentioning ganja. I do not think I could have
given that as the cause. The papers have no
reference to ganja ; but they are clear on liquor
drinking. At the time I attributed the insanity
to the treatment the man had received on becom
-ing a Christian. He was always asking for his
wife and child. I have a recollection also of
telling the missionary that the man was not quite
a good character, but took liquor. I thought it
probable the missionary did not know this. I
remember mentioning it, as the Hospital Assistant
had told me of it. If I had been told about ganja,
I should have mentioned that, I see the papers
have no reference to ganja. The reference to
liquor drinking is in Form C, signed by the Head
Assistant Magistrate.
Question 45 .—In cases sent to me as Civil Sur
-geon for observation, and also in cases sent to me
as Superintendent of the Asylum, I receive in
- f o r m a t i o n i n F o r m C f r o m t h e M a g i s t r a t e . T h i s i s
based on inquiries made by him. I have to accept
this, as I have not, except in cases of residents in
the town, opportunities for making the inquiries.
Frequently the entries regarding cause, occupation,
etc., used to be unknown. But Government have
issued an order that every effort should be made
to obtain information. The Government were
dissatisfied with the defective character of the in-
formation given and the number of cases in which
the cause was unknown. We often send back
cases accordingly to the Magistrate when the
cause is not given or information is otherwise
defective.
As a rule, we accept what the Magistrate assigns
as the cause. We should enter "grief" or
"liquor" or "ganja" according as the Magis
- t r a t e h a d e n t e r e d i t . W e p r e s u m e t h a t h e h a s
made inquiry. Even when an entry had been
made by the Magistrate, I should send for the
relatives if in the town if there was any point on
which I wanted more information. I have done
so in one or two eases where the Magistrate had
shown a cause, because I wanted to look into
heredity. Even in the very rare case of relatives
coming with a lunatic, I should not make any
inquiry from them unless there was a point on