254
cares. It is, I suppose, more intoxicating than
refreshing. I don't think that it allays hunger.
But it creates appetite by digesting food. The
effect lasts from three to six hours. There are
several after-effects, the chief of which is disin-
- c l i n a t i o n t o h a r d w o r k .
45. Habitual moderate use produces noxious
effects, physical and mental. It does impair the
constitution. Moderate use does not injure the
digestion or cause loss of appetite. It does not
cause dysentery, bronchitis, or asthma. It in-
duces laziness, but it does not impair the moral
sense ; nor does it lead to habits of immorality or
debauchery, except in rare cases. It does not
deaden the intellect or produce insanity.
46. Excessive consumption of ganja strengthens
digestive powers, alleviates fatigue, gives staying-
power under exposure, and is a preventive of dis-
- e a s e i n m a l a r i o u s t r a c t s . E x c e s s i v e u s e i s n o t ,
however, harmless, for it ruins a man in every way.
Excessive consumers are not also offensive to their
neighbours. Immediate effect of excessive use is
instantaneous stupefaction and intoxication. Its
effect lasts from six to eight hours. After-effects
are lowness of spirits or depression of mind and
indisposition to hard and honest work, laziness,
and an attempt to satisfy the stomach in an easy
manner, begging or pilfering. it produces noxi-
ous effects, physically, mentally, and morally. It
impairs the constitution by weakening the chest
and stomach or intestines, and thereby produc-
ing asthmatic symptoms. It deadens the intel-
lect altogether and produces insanity. It leads to
insanity, which may he cured by a gradual but
thorough change of habits. The symptoms may
be reinduced by the use of the drug. Typical
symptoms are that the persons are always harm-
less and jovial. They have, as a rule, thin and
emaciated constitution. I know instances of
people of weak intellect having gone mad on ac-
count of the use of this drug ; but I have not had
any confessions made to me by them. Yes; I
have considered the subject of persons suffering
from mental anxiety or brain disease using the
drug to obtain relief. In cases of mental anxiety
or brain disease due to other causes than the
use of the drug, a moderate use will afford relief ;
but the consequences of a habitual use are more
serious. I am acquainted with some cases ; but I
am not able to enumerate them for want of a par-
ticular record of them.
47. I have no instances to show that the mo-
derate use of the drug is a hereditary habit ; but
I believe with some families, such as wandering
professional beggars, it has become hereditary.
When the constitution of the consumers is affected,
of course the physique of the offspring must be
affected.
48. Except the tendencies mentioned in the
above answer, I am not disposed to believe that
excessive use is hereditary.
49. Moderate use is considered as an aphrodi-
siac. In this country it does not seem as if the
prostitutes use this. The use for this purpose is
no doubt more injurious, because it leads to habits
of moral depravity, waste of money, and subse-
quent impotence.
50. Perhaps excessive use will not attain the
object contemplated in Question 49, for excessive
use stupefies the man and renders him useless.
51 and 52. I am not prepared to say that any
proportion of bad characters are accustomed to
this, or the use of the drug connected with any
crime in general or in particular.
53. My experience does not permit me to an-
swer this.
54. No ; I don't know if criminals use the drug
to fortify themselves to commit offences.
55. I have known a few cases in which crimi-
nals have administered these drugs to their vic-
tims before crimes were committed. Complete
stupefaction cannot be induced by this drug with-
out the admixture of dhatura.
56. No answer to the first part.
I know a case in which a traveller who had
some property with him was administered bhang
mixed with dhatura and sugar, which caused
immediate stupefaction and thus facilitated the
theft. The man recovered his senses after 24
hours.
57. None.
58. Present system, so far as it has been intro-
duced, is working well. 1 do consider that it is
still capable of improvement.
59. At present taxation and control have been
imposed on the sale of the drug only. No con-
trol is exercised over cultivation and transportation.
Nothing now prevents consumers getting the
drug from the cultivators direct, or cultivating it
in their own compounds and using it for them-
selves, If cultivation and possession are allowed
only under check, the revenue may increase. But
the consumers in this district being very small,
special endeavours in this direction are not needed.
60. They are not at all controlled, The system
requires modification. The cultivation of the
plant should be allowed under license, and the
crop harvested under supervision and the produce
weighed and the duty levied. Then it may be
allowed to be sold as freely as possible. The
import of ganja should be prohibited save on
payment of duty. In this case sale may be
allowed free or on licenses on fixed fees.
61. No charas.
62. Yes ; feasible. Cultivation without license
may be notified as an offence. Licenses may be
granted by Tahsildars or Salt Inspectors. Cultiva-
tors may be made to keep a record of the plants
sown in the licensed area, where a blackboard in-
dicating that it is a licensed area should be hung up.
Periodical inspection should be made, and the plants
counted to tally with the registers maintained by
the cultivator. The crop, when it is mature , must
be watched and. harvested under the supervision
of a Revenue or Abkari officer, and when it is
ready for market, it may be weighed and fixed
duty levied. If no duty could be paid by the
cultivator, it must be stored and preserved under
lock and key of Abkari or Revenue officer, and
occasional deliveries being made on payment of the
said duty.
63. So long as the present system of controlling
the sale is carried out, and not that of controlling
the cultivation and possession, there are no objec-
tions. If cultivation, transportation and posses-
sion are restricted, sale of the drug on license with
fixed fees may be introduced. At present the
drug is sold in shops selected and apprised for sale.
The whole quantity consumed by the consumers
does not probably pass through these shops ; hence
modification
64. Yes ; for reasons given above.
65. There is only one article here in this district,
and does not allow any comparison with the other
drugs. The consumers of this article are very
few, and therefore no comparison is possible