310
(c) Charas is also a febrifuge. In Terai-Bhahar,
which has a very unhealthy climate, it is often used
to prevent the attacks of malaria.
(d) In cold it is used to keep the body warm,
and in heat to keep the digestive organs in proper
order.
In severe colics, it (charas) is often used, and is
known to do good. The drug as a medicine may
be used by all classes; but as I here allude to those
that use it moderately and occasionally, I cannot
give any proportion of the smokers.
42. Except for medicinal purposes, I regard even
the moderate use of these drugs to be harmful. In
the first place an habitual consumer is a slave to
them, and though he be at first moderate, it is
certain (at least it is probable) that he becomes an
excessive consumer.
43. Moderate consumers do not give any kind of
offence to their neighbours. (I refer to charas).
44. On the moderate but habitual consumer the
effects of charas are not very marked. Yet, as
it is the fulfilling of a craving, the use of charas is
to him refreshing. He is not intoxicated. They
say it creates an appetite. The effect lasts generally
an hour or two. The want of subsequent gratifi-
cation does create a longing, a craving, an uneasi-
ness.
45. If the moderate use of charas does not lead
to excessive consumption, it leads, if prolonged to
many years, to effects that are harmful.
It impairs the constitution. The sunken eye, the
sallow check, and the stunted growth distinguish
the habitual user of charas. It causes emaciation,
and develops a tendency for asthma. In the long
run it causes loss of appetite and injures the diges-
tion, for the excrements of such users always are
hard and show imperfect digestion. I know that
it causes bronchitis and asthma, and it may cause
dysentery also.
There is no doubt that it dulls the moral sense,
and induces habits of laziness and immorality. It
deadens the intellect, and may lead to insanity. It
rather brings about idiotcy than direct lunacy. The
insane or idiot may recover his mind if he gives up
the use of charas; but the pristine power is gone,
and gone beyond recall. I know, and have stated
above, that men use charas to kill thought and find
a temporary alleviation of anxiety in its use. But
the habitual use of charas leads to idiotey and want
of self-control and weakened intellect.
46. The habitual excessive use of these drugs is
sure to bring about the deplorable results that
follow, even from the moderate use, in a more
marked degree and after a very short period of use.
Excessive habitual use ends in insanity more strong
than idiotcy, and develops a strong tendency for
asthma.
47. "Like father like son" is one answer to this
question. I believe in the law of heredity, and hold
that the son of a moderate habitual consumer has a
tendency to use these drugs. The children of a
moderate consumer, besides having some ante-natal
tendency, also may learn to smoke charas, etc., by
seeing their fathers or superiors indulging in the
use of the drug.
48. He who uses these drugs excessively is sure
to have his children come into this world with the
stamp of the father's sin or vice. The habitual
excessive user's children are generally puny weak-
lings, and have ricketty constitutions. There may
be exceptions to this rule.
49. Charas is, to my certain knowledge, used as
an aphrodisiac. Inhaling large quantities of charas
smoke enables voluptuaries to have long dalliance
with women. It is used sometimes, not often, by
prostitutes. The use of the drug for this purpose is
more injurious, for the nerves are abnormally
excited, and the reaction is dangerous.
51. (a) There is no doubt that a large proportion
of bad characters are habitual moderate consumers
of these drugs. Eight or ten per cent. of the popu-
lation of cities may be charas smokers, though it
would be difficult to get even one in a thousand in
the villages.
(b) In my opinion the moderate use of charas
has no particular connection with crime in general.
Charas smoking does not lead the smoker directly
to any sort of crime, though it is possible he may
indulge in untimely but innocent pranks.
52. The excessive use of the drug does nothing
more but exemplify the above conclusions about
moderate users in a stronger light.
53. Excessive indulgence may incite to crime,
not violent in its nature, such as abusing others,
breaking a window glass pane, tearing clothes, or
doing some small mischief to the person or pro-
perty of others or their own. We have not yet
heard of any case in which charas smoking has led
to temporary homicidal frenzy.
54. In my opinion criminals do not fortify them-
selves for any premeditated act of violence or other
crime by using these drugs, and as criminals—
except a small minority of them—are cool-headed,
they will not be foolish enough to go a-stealing or
commit any other crime when their mind is a little
off its balance.
55. It is not unoften you find criminals inducing
their victims to use these drugs for stupefying them.
This diabolical practice is a common trick with the
sharpers of the plains. Such cases do not, however,
ever happen here in Kumaon. We hear that in
the plains dhatura is often mixed to ensure com-
plete stupefaction. Such cases have never hap-
pened here.
57. We hear that charas—small pieces of charas
—are sometimes eaten either for the sake of intoxi-
cation or as soporifics.
58. The excise administration in these provinces
as regards hemp drugs is working satisfactorily,
though unhappily the consumers of charas are
rather on the increase.
61. Taking into consideration the hilly character
of this country and the difficulty, even impossibility,
of maintaining a complete control over the prepara-
tion of these drugs and the cultivation of hemp,
also bearing in mind the many useful and innocent
purposes to which the seeds, fibres, etc., of the
hemp plant are turned, I am of opinion that the
present system of control is sufficient (as it obtains
in Kumaon) and needs no modification.
In my opinion no one gifted with the least
common sense will be so insensate as to use intoxi-
cants habitually but for medicinal purposes, and
this simply because the evils of the use of narcotic
and stimulating drugs are obvious to all.
The difficulty in prohibiting the production and
use of such drugs arises from the fact that some of
them, for instance poppy and bhang, are used for
purposes that are not stimulating, and to prohibit
their cultivation would be prohibiting the produc-
tion of drugs that are or may be used for lawful
and innocuous purposes, and not to prohibit them
may and does lead to their being used for unlawful
and noxious purposes.
The Commission for ascertaining the truth about
the uses and effects of such drugs must visit pro-