436
38. Evidence of ASSISTANT SURGEON SAHIB DITTA, Arora, in medical charge
of Hospital, Mullan.
1. During my service of over twenty-six years I
have known many people who consume hemp drug
(bhang particularly). Information has also been
obtained from vendors of the drugs and from my
friend Lala Hari Chand, Personal Assistant to the
Excise Commissioner, Punjab.
2. Yes. As far as I have ascertained, these
definitions appear to be correct. Bhang is also
known as sukha, booti, sabzi, savi, bijoa; and
when made into a drink, sardai, thandai, charna-
mat.
3. In hilly and submountainous districts, as
Simla, Kangra, Hoshiarpur, Gurdaspur and Jullun-
dar. In the latter it is abundant.
4. Bhang, sabji, booti, sawi, sukha, bijua.
5. Damp, cold and hilly climate, in soils with
little sand, river or stream banks and heavy rainfall
are necessary for the growth of the wild plant.
6. Said to be scattered.
7. (a) and (b) No.
(c) and (d) Yes.
(e) For use as bhang in the frontier districts
Dera Ismail Khan, Dera Ghazi Khan, Muzaffar-
garh, and to a limited extent in the Multan
district.
(d) In Kangra and Simla for fibres and seeds.
8 and 9. Not known.
10. Fakirs, jogis and mirasis, who are habitual
consumers of bhang, cultivate it if they have any
bit of land of their own.
11. Ganja is not prepared at all in this pro-
vince.
12. No.
13. Ganja is not prepared in any district in the
Punjab.
14. (a) and (b) No.
(c) Yes.
Bhang is prepared more or less in many districts
in the plains in this province, but is mostly pre-
pared in the Jullundur district.
15. Not known.
16. (a) Yes, sometimes in small quantity.
(A) Yes.
(c) No. Neither ganja nor charas is prepared
in Punjab.
17. Bhang alone is prepared from the hemp
plant in this province, mostly by low class people
as chamars.
18. All the three drugs deteriorate and lose their
effects after two years. Exposure to damp atmos-
phere is said to be the cause of deterioration.
Charas, if allowed to remain unpacked in the leather
bags in which it is imported, may keep longer
than two years.
19. Yes; only for smoking. I have also heard
that charas is sometimes eaten too mixed with
bhang is some districts.
20. Low class people, chamars, mehters, grass-
cutters, also fakirs and Pathans in the frontier
districts; but to what extent is not known.
21. Not known.
22. Foreign charas is used in Punjab. It is
imported from Yarkand and Ladakh via Kullu and
Kashmir. Small quantity, it is said, is also im-
ported from Afghanistan via Peshawar and Kohat
23. No, as far as I know.
24. Consumers of bhang mostly drink in almost
all the districts of Punjab. Very rarely (say one
in two hundred persons) it is eaten in the form of
powder or sweetmeat (majun), and this only when
mortar and pestle to rub and make it into a drink
are not procurable.
25. Not known exactly, but the use of bhang is
probably on the increase.
26. Cannot be stated exactly but presumably—
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
Are 60 per cent.
„ 30 „ „
„
8
„
„
„ 2 „ „
But what is moderate to habitual consumers
would be excessive to an occasional consumer.
27. The practice of taking bhang by different
classes of people varies very much in different
localities, e.g., in Rajputana I know from my own
experience (Bikanir) all wealthy and middle class
Hindus use bhang in moderate or excessive quantity
regularly. These people do little or no work. In
Bahawalpur State, again, nearly all the male adult
population, Hindus and Muhammadans, are habi-
tual moderate or excessive consumers. In Multan,
Muzaffargarh, Dera Ghazi Khan and Dera Ismail
Khan, it is said, one-fourth of Hindu male and
nearly one-sixth of Muhammadan male adult
population drink bhang habitually moderately.
Brahmins, fakirs, jogis and sanyasis, mirasis,
chamars, and such other low class people who
generally lead an idle life and are dependent upon
others for their subsistence use bhang throughout
the province.
In Amritsar, Akalia Sikhs are habitual excessive
consumers.
People, who sit idle pass greater portion of their
time in places of lounging, who mix in the society
of fakirs and idle Brahmins at their temples, etc.,
etc., where bhang drinks are regularly prepared and
distributed gratis, get into the habit of using
bhang.
Occasional moderate and excessive consumers of
bhang are : (a) members of a Hindu nuptial proces-
sion who are to be feasted with sweetmeats at the
bride's house, use bhang to create hunger; (b)
people who resort to fairs use it with the object of
intoxication, and (c) Brahmins, fakirs, etc., when
invited at dinner of rich dishes; (d) few pilgrims
and travellers use bhang with the object of creating
appetite, avoid the ill-effects of bad climate of the
places they visit and to alleviate the fatigue of
journey.
28. My friend Lala Hari Chand, of the Punjab
Excise Department, informs me that the average
cost per diem of—
(a) Habitual moderate consumers of charas
is 3 pies.
(b) Habitual excessive consumer, from 2 to 4
annas.
(a) Habitual moderate consumer of bhang, 1/9
pie.
(b) Habitual excessive consumer of bhang, 8
pies.