116
These last remarks about the entry of cause ap-
ply also to patients coming from other districts.
The patients come from great distances. Even
relatives of Agra people rarely come, much less do
they come in cases from out districts.
Ordinarily it has been the practice to enter
hemp drugs as the cause of insanity where it has
been shown that the patient used these drugs. I
cannot say precisely why this is the practice. It
has come down as the traditional practice. As a
matter of fact, until recently I looked on these
drugs as very poisonous. As I have already said,
my ordinary medical practice did not bring me in-
to contact with them at all. I only came into con-
tact with them in the asylum. I had no idea that
they were used so extensively as I find on enquiry
to be the case. I have made enquiry in connection
with the attention drawn to the matter recently.
I think that there are cases of insanity brought
on by the excessive use of the drugs; but these
cases, I believe, are temporary and speedily cured.
The insanity might recur if the excessive use were
continued, and insanity frequently recurring might
end in complete dementia. I believe such cases
occur, but that they are much rarer than I former-
ly believed. In such cases I think the drug may
not only be the exciting, but the real, cause. I
think such cases as I can recall are more generally
due to the smoking of the drug than to bhang
drinking, but I do not exclude the latter. Where
insanity is due to hemp drugs it may thus be
either as a real or merely as an exciting cause.
There are no typical symptoms of hemp drag
insanity. All the symptoms I have seen may be
due to other causes, e.g., dhatura or alcoholic liquor.
Perhaps the most characteristic symptom of hemp
is that the patient is easily impressed by his sur-
roundings so as to make him cry, laugh, etc., more
easily. This is more characteristic of hemp drugs
than of dhatura, etc., I think. I do not think that
injury to the head or exposure to the sun would
produce the symptoms seen in ganja cases; nor
syphilis to my knowledge. I mean that I know
of no specific instances where these causes have
led to its being supposed that the man was suffer-
ing from ganja. But so far as insanity is attri-
butable to any of these causes, hemp drag insanity
is not distinguishable from such insanity. I can-
not easily differentiate hemp drag insanity. There
are no special symptoms, although there are certain
symptoms not uncommonly met in such cases. I
have only attributed to hemp drugs cases where
there were symptoms not inconsistent with insanity
due to these drugs, and where there was a history
of hemp drugs. I would not attribute the case to
these drugs without a history. You want the
symptoms plus the history to be certain enough to
record with propriety that this is the probable
cause. Admission of hemp drug habit has hitherto
been accepted as a sufficient ground for attributing
the insanity to hemp drags in default of other
cause. That has been the practice in the asylum
and has come down as the recognized usage. In
fact, men are watched to see how they smoke to-
bacco, so as to ascertain whether they have the
ganja or charas habit. Relatives, when they have
no other cause to mention, are ready to attribute
the insanity to hemp drugs if the man uses them.
Now that I have had my attention drawn to the
use and abuse of these drags, I do not think that
the procedure hitherto adopted has been such as to
lead to an accurate diagnosis of the cause of in-
sanity.
77. Evidence of SURGEON-LIEUTENANT-COLONEL R. A. K. HOLMES, Superintendent,
Central Jail, Lucknow.
1. Prom seeing its effects on prisoners and others,
and from inquiries made of the various officials
and medical subordinates.
2. These definitions may be accepted for Luck-
now. Flat ganja is termed pathar in Lucknow ;
in Fyzabad, baluchar. Round ganja is termed
kuli ganja. Broken ganja is termed chur or
chura; at Baramghat is a yellow kind of ganja
called mohadewa.
19. Ganja and charas are used for smoking
only.
23. Bhang is not used for smoking.
28. (a) One tola ganja, price 2 annas. One
tola charas, 4 to 5 annas. One ounce bhang, 6
pies. The quantities for excessive consumers will
be about double these.
29. Tobacco is mixed with ganja and charas for
smoking; with bhang, black pepper, ginger, rose
leaves, pumpkin seeds, sugar, occasionally dhatura
is for intoxicating purposes, and this is called
bhang massala.
30. Their consumption is said to be greater in
company than in solitude. Chiefly the male sex ;
prostitutes may use bhang. Young men use these
drugs most. Children do not use these drugs.
31. The habit is easily formed, though their use
is apt to nauseate at first. The habit is not easily
broken off. There is a tendency to increase the
quantities taken and develop excess.
32. Their use is connected with social customs
not religous, except that at the time of the Holi
their use increases. If drug-consumers go to the
houses of others who do likewise, they are treated
to them, as at marriages and melas, visits and
festival times. It may turn out excessive, but is
usually moderate. This induces others to begin,
seeing and being there, when asked to smoke.
36. There is no reason to believe that the use
of any of these drugs is being supplanted by
alcohol.
37. The effects of charas-smoking are more
heating than ganja-smoking and injurious to the
lungs and general health. The effects of drinking
bhang in moderation are said to be beneficial in
promoting appetite, increasing weight; also useful
in cases of hæmorrhoids.
39. Those who smoke ganja or charas are said
not to drink or eat it; also the effects of eating or
drinking them are said to be more injurious, as
being more irritating and intoxicating and more
tending to produce insanity.
40. Native Hindu village baids prescribe bhang
for piles and occasionally for malarial fever.
Bhang mixed with salt is given to cattle to promote
appetite and keep down wind or indigestion.
41. (a) Moderate smoking of charas or ganja
is said to promote appetite and digestion, and
bhang as an appetiser.
(b) Also to give staying-power and alleviate
or prevent fatigue or its bad effects—chiefly bhang.
(c) Said not to be of any special benefit.
(d) Not recorded.