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34. The priestly class (Brahmins) of such cities
in the North-Western Provinces and Oudh, as
Allahabad, Mathura, Ajudhia, etc., would suffer
seriously if they were to abstain from bhang
drinking, as they are quite habituated to it. In
this class I think about 95 per cent. of the male
members are habituated to the bhang drinking
in the evening before taking their meal. I think
no other class would so seriously suffer.
85. It would be, I think, feasible to prohibit
the use of ganja and charas, as these forms are
mainly used by the lower order of people, and the
class called jogis or fakirs (religious mendicants).
But I think the use of bhang would not be a
feasible thing to prohibit, as it is rather more
(nay, I should say most) extensively used all over
India, and on many occasions it is necessary to
use bhang as a religious custom. The prohibition
of the use of bhang would, I think, occasion
serious discontent amongst its consumers, al-
though it might not amount to a political danger.
The prohibition might, I think, be enforced by
the imposition of very heavy taxes on the sale of
ganja and charas.
36. I do not think there is any reason to think
that alcohol is now being substituted to a certain
extent for any of these drugs. But, on the other
hand, I fear that the prohibition of the use of
ganja and charas is very likely to be followed by an
increase in the number of drunkards, especially
amongst lower order of people.
37. The effects produced by charas smoking
are said to last shorter than those produced by
ganja smoking, and also the exhilaration of
spirits is not so marked.
38. No.
39. I have no experience of this thing.
40. Leaves of the hemp plant (bhang) are
boiled in milk and used as an anodyne for foment-
ation on piles by the Yunani hakims. None that
I know of.
41. (a) The use of bhang is said to produce
appetite, and the person is able to take more food
than usual. The same is said to have a laxative
effect also.
(b) The moderate use of charas or ganja is
said to give staying-power under exposure and to
alleviate fatigue.
(c) Never used in this way.
(d) The fakir or sadhu class use ganja smoking
and bhang drinking for the purpose of producing
concentration of mind, and they use them rather
in excess and habitually.
About two-thirds of the Brahmins (specially
the priests) use bhang habitually and moderately
as a digestive. And almost all the fakirs or sadhus
use bhang and ganja in excess, and charas only
occasionally, to produce concentration of mind
and to have staying-power under fatigue or ex-
posure.
42. The very moderate use of bhang is, I con-
sider, to be harmless. But not so the use of ganja
and charas, as I have known persons, who used
ganja habitually and moderately, to have got
extreme nervousness and weakness of the sexual
power, almost amounting to impotency, and
impaired appetite.
43. Yes.
44. Exhilaration of spirits and hallucinations,
which are said to be of peculiarly pleasing nature.
Yes; it is refreshing, producing intoxication to a
slight extent. It does not allay hunger, but
creates appetite (I mean the moderate use of all
the three). The effect of bhang drinking lasts
about three to five hours, that of ganja lasts
about an hour, and of charas about § of an hour.
The only after-effect found in bhang drinking is
a taxation of bowels. The want of subsequent
gratification (in bhang drinking) does not produce
any longing or uneasiness, but those of charas
and ganja smoking do produce longing and
uneasiness.
45. No; but in ganja, vide answer No. 42,
only physically. The habitual long use of ganja
and charas in moderate quantity causes loss of
appetite. It does not cause bronchitis, dysentery
or asthma, but cures them. No; it does not
impair the moral sense, neither does it induce
uneasiness and habits of immorality and debauch-
ery. It does not (moderate use of any of them)
deaden the intellect, nor produce insanity. I
know of no insanes confessing to the use of the
drug.
No; I do not think there is any evidence to
indicate that insanity may often tend to indul-
gence in the use of hemp drugs by a person who
is deficient in self-control through weakened intel-
lect.
46. The habitual use in excess of bhang pro-
duces a sort of shaking palsy, as I know a class-
fellow of mine having had it while in school, and
for which he got plucked once in Practical
Surgery. The habitual excessive use of ganja is,
I think, more harmful, as it produces extreme
nervousness in a short time, and a sort of idiocy,
which may run to insanity or mental dementia,
in which the person appears to have depression
of spirits and not capable of much physical exer-
tion. And I know of me person having had
extreme irritability of the urinary organs through
excessive use of ganja, died of hæmaturia.
47. No; I know of none.
48. None.
49. No; not as aphrodisiac. No; not so used
by prostitutes. No; not more injurious. Yes;
it does, especially ganja.
50. Please see answer No. 46.
51. No; I know of none. I could trace no
connection of it with crime in general, or with
crime of any special character.
53. No; I know of none.
54. Yes; all the three forms are sometimes
seen to have been used in such a way.
55. Yes; I know one person induced his victim
(a young girl) in a most cunning way to partake
a strong solution of bhang to produce stupefac-
tion in the girl in order to commit rape, in which
he succeeded. Yes; I consider that complete
stupefaction can be brought on by the excessive
use of bhang and ganja without admixture.
56. The moderate use of any of the three forms
produces exhilaration of spirits and intoxication
of a pleasing nature. In excess they produce
complete stupefaction by themselves.
Poor
persons, who cannot afford to buy ganja, generally
make a mixture of ganja, dried tobacco leaves,
and the form of tobacco used for huka, and
smoke them together. It goes by the especial
name of kankar. This is said to have less intoxi-
cation than the pure drug. Dhatura seeds are
mixed with bhang to make it stronger in its
effects for personal consumption as well as for
administration to others. The seeds are also used
with ganja and smoked together in the same way
and for the same purpose.
57. I have never heard of such a thing.