261
(d) About 25 per cent.
27. (a) Kahars and Nais.
(b) Brahmins of holy places and fakirs.
(c) and (d) All castes.
Kahars and Nais take these things because they
are strengthened by them. Brahmins take them
so as to get a good appetite and be able to con-
sume the food their pupils (jijman) bring.
28. Bhang.—(a) A pice worth, or two tolas.
(b) Three pice or an anna, or half a pound.
Charas.—(a) One anna worth, or one tola.
(b) Two annas worth or two tolas.
29. Bhang.—(a) Pepper, seeds of kukri, almonds*
for flavour. (b) Jafran (= saffron), cardamoms,
sugar, milk, very occasionally dhatura is used to
cause greater intoxication.
Charas.—(a) Tobacco.
30. Charas and ganja are used in company.
Bhang is drunk alone or in company. Only
women of bad character use them. It is more
used in youth.
31. The habit is easily formed and hard to
break off. In the case of charas there is a ten-
dency for moderaae habit to become excessive.
32. There is a custom to drink bhang at Holi.
It is not essential or excessive, and does not cause
harm or lead to the habit. Majun is also dis-
tributed then.
33. Charas and ganja consumers are regarded
as bad characters. Bhang drinkers are not con-
sidered quite that, but are not liked. The reason
for this is that brains and intellect are destroyed
by this.
34. There would be great privation, but not
very great, and nobody would die of it. I have
seen men who gave it up altogether.
35. It would be feasible to prohibit use of these
drugs, but it would have to be done by degrees.
The consumers would suffer very much and make
a great disturbance ; but there would be no fear
of a political danger. A very few would take
to alcoholic stimulants, or to opium.
36. No.
37. Ganja has same effects, but stronger.
38. The round ganja is stronger.
41. (a) No.
(b) Not beneficial. Deadens senses, but after-
wards leave consumers weak.
(c) Not good.
(d) No.
42. There will always be some harm ; but it
may be very small if only bhang is used moderate-
43. Not at all.
44. Ganja and charas.—Intoxication comes on
at once. There is no refreshment from these, and
hunger is allayed. It lasts two or two and a half
hours, and then the limbs feel broken. Bhang
refreshes and causes appetite and intoxication after
a little time. The effects last two or two-and-a-
half hours, and there are no after-effects. There
is longing and some uneasiness if these things are
not obtained by a habitual consumer.
45. Charas and ganja make the body thin, the
complexion dark, injure the appetite and digestion,
cause dysentery, bronchitis and asthma. The
moral sense is impaired. Habits of debauchery are
not induced. The intellect is deadened, and insan-
ity is produced sometimes. The insanity is
permanent. 1 have seen several people insane
from the use of ganja and charas. Their eyes were
filmy, and their complexion dark, and they be-
come thin.
47. Not hereditary. Children of ganja and
charas smokers may be ; but children of bhang
drinkers are not affected.
49. It is used by both men and prostitutes. It
is more injurious because of the object. It pro-
duces impotence.
51. (a) Most bad characters use these drugs.
(b) This use has no connection with crime.
53. Unpremeditated acts of theft and violence
and even murder take place under the influence of
the intoxication of charas and ganja, but not
bhang.
54. Yes, they do take ganja and charas.
55. Not possible.
58. Yes.
63. There should be some control. It should
be extirpated, and tracts let out to contractors.
193. Evidence of SHIAM SINHA, Zamindar, Tajpur, Bijnor.
1. I have had opportunities of finding out and
knowing something of hemp drugs from personal
enquiry and observation.
2. Bhang is known by the names of bhang,
thandai, and bijia, also bunti, in this district.
3. It grows wild in many parts of this district
as well as in the terai.
4. It is known by the name of bhang, bhanga
(male plant), or ganja.
5. It grows wild almost anywhere, and requires
a loose sandy soil with a damp climate. It thrives
mostly in Khadar and the neighbourhood of terai
villages.
6. Its growth is ordinarily dense.
7. None.
14. Bhang is dried in some places for private
consumption.
15. Bhang is prepared by gathering the tender
leaves of the female plant and drying them.
16. Bhang can be easily prepared by any one
and I believe it is so done in the Khadar.
18. Bhang does when exposed to damp atmos-
phere.
19. I believe so.
20. I believe that I should be very near the
mark if I said that 75 per cent. of the population
of this district indulge in smoking charas, and
quite 95 per cent. who drink bhang.
21. So far as I am aware, no ganja is used in
this district.
22. The sulfa or charas is known by the names
of Yarkandi, Bukhara, and garda, but of all these
Yarkandi is preferred. As the abovementioned
names imply, the charas is imported from Kabul
and Central Asia
23. Never.