442
of both Hindu and Muhammadan communities
throughout this province.
21. Ganja is not used in this province.
22. Foreign charas is chiefly used, which is im-
ported from Yarkand.
23. No.
24. In big cities bhang is used as a refrigerant
drink, as well as it is taken internally in the form
of a sweetmeat called majun.
25. The use of charas is on the increase, the
quantity of imported charas having considerably
increased.
28. Charas :—(a) 6 pies per diem.
(b) From 1 anna to 4 annas per diem.
Bhang :—(a) 1 pie per diem.
(b) From 3 to 6 pies per diem.
29. Charas is chiefly smoked with tobacco.
Bhang is triturated with poppy seeds, milk, carda-
moms, aniseeds, almonds, little black peppers, and
sugar, sifted, and then taken as a cooling and
soothing draught. Bhang is also used in the form
of a sweetmeat called majun.
30. Bhang and charas are chiefly used in com-
pany. They are confined to the male sex only.
It is not usual for children to consume bhang and
charas.
31. The habit of consuming bhang is easily
formed, not difficult to break off. In case of bhang
and charas, there is a tendency for a moderate
consumer to develop into an excessive one.
32. Bhang is socially taken in case of religious
fairs, and in case they have nothing to do. The
use of the drug in connection with the fairs is not
essential. It is generally temperate. It is not
likely that it would lead to the formation of habit
or become injurious.
33. The consumption of bhang is regarded harm-
less ; it is used as a sacred drink to relieve fatigue,
increase appetite, and give little intoxication. The
hemp plant is worshipped on Sheoratri. The use of
charas is in disrepute among the people, being
known to be injurious to the brain and general
constitution.
34. The privation of the use of bhang would
be a hardship to the people who take it as a sacred
drink. It is a most pleasant draught at a small
cost for the poor people, and is mostly used by the
temperate classes of the Hindus, poor and rich,
who do not use spirits, etc.; and it is a favourite
drink with the Sikh community and Dogras, who
supply recruits for the army. It is also used by
sadhus and fakirs.
35. It is impossible to prohibit the use of bhang.
Charas can be prohibited, and if its import is
stopped it can't be used illicitly. It can't produce
such a serious discontent among the people as it
would amount to a political danger, or would be
followed by recourse to alcoholic stimulants. Of
course the prohibition of charas would be followed
by drinking of bhang.
37. Ganja is not used in this province, conse-
quently the effects of charas and ganja on the
constitution can't be differentiated properly.
38. Not known to me.
39. No preparation of Indian hemp is used in
this province both for drinking and smoking pur-
poses at the same time.
40. Native hakims prescribe bhang in case of
piles, and use as a narcotic in case of circumcision
among the Muhammadans. It is also used by the
natives in the treatment of cattle diseases, i.e., in-
digestion, etc., mixed with salt and pepper, etc.
41. The moderate use of bhang is beneficial—
(a) As food accessory or digestive.
(b) To give staying-power under severe exer-
tions or exposure or to alleviate fatigue.
(c) As a febrifuge drink.
(d) It is used as a vermicide in case where
the drinking water wells are infested
by animalculæ.
Hindus of all classes and Muhammadans of low
castes, especially beggars and mirasis, use it for the
above purposes. Proportion of classes can't defin-
itely be mentioned. I refer to the moderate
habitual use of the drug.
42. The moderate use of bhang is not injurious,
and it produces no ill-effects on the vital organs of
the body. Charas is injurious because it affects
the brain primarily, and the general constitution
secondarily.
43. Moderate consumers of bhang are inoffensive
to their neighbours. Charas smokers are, no doubt,
a nuisance to the public.
44. The immediate effect of the moderate use of
bhang is refreshing ; it produces intoxication to
some extent; it creates appetite, and its effects last
from three to six hours. The after-effects are
giddiness, stupor, dullness of mind, and sometimes
indigestion. No longing or uneasiness is pro-
duced by want of subsequent gratification of bhang
but charas has the reverse effect.
45. The moderate use of bhang produces no noxious
effect. Charas, if used moderately, is very injurious.
It produces general weakness of the brain, leading
to insomnia, impairs vision, brings on bronchitis
and asthma, and general irritation of the respira-
tory organs, indigestion and dysentery. It im-
pairs moral sense and induces laziness. It deadens
intellect, and in some cases causes insanity, melan-
cholia, and in a few cases mania. In many cases
the insanity is temporary ; while in a few it is
permanent. If temporary, the symptoms are
again brought on by use of the drug, after libera-
tion from restraint. The symptoms are generally
of melancholic nature. The people in this province
don't use ganja, so the insanity is specially due to
charas smoking. I don't know any cases of in-
sanity relieved by the use of hemp; nor do I know
any cases in which insanity brought on by indul-
gence in the use of hemp by a person of weakened
intellect.
46. The excessive use even of bhang would lead
to the symptoms mentioned in answer to question
45, and the excessive use of charas would produce
the worst results as stated above.
49. It is occasionally used as an aphrodisiac to
endure sexual intercourse by the male sex. I don't
know any cases in which hemp produced im-
potence.
55. Never used alone by criminals; but is gene-
rally mixed with dhatura to stupefy their victims.
Oral evidence.
I have altogether about twenty years' service.
I am L. M. and S. of Lahore. I have experience
of Jullundux and Amritsar only, and no special ex-
perience of insanity.