320
census statistics. The sadhus live on charity. The
increase in their number does not indicate a general
increase of wealth in those who support them. The
society of sadhus is frequented for the purpose of
ganja smoking, and every visitor gives alms of
some sort. In this way they are able to get their
smoking cheaper than from the shop, where they
have to pay money for it. Religious sentiment also
enters into the alms-giving. The people get no
benefit from the sadhus but the hemp drugs.
People do receive things purporting to be charas and
medicine from the sadhus, which implies that the
sadhus have certain influence or powers. By "want
of education,'' I mean that education is not suffi-
ciently advanced to check the habit. The feeling
of the educated people is against the influence of
the sadhus. This should reduce the number of sa-
dhus since education is advancing.
Question 30.—The women to whom I refer in
this answer are women of the lower classes who
may be quite respectable. Formerly prostitutes
alone used the drugs. Recently I have noticed the
habit among other women, a fact of which I was
unacquainted before. I enquired fifteen years ago.
My experience is gained in Azamgarh. It was two
or three years ago I learnt the instances of four wo-
men I have referred to, and since answering the
question I have heard of other cases.
Question 31.—By "the last few years" in an-
swer 31 I mean the years immediately passed. I
have taken the drugs occasionally during the last
three or four years.
Question 33.—By "Government trade in the
drugs" I mean the system of auction sale of the mono-
poly. I call this trade. The people generally look at
the matter in this light. The educated classes
do, I think, so regard it. If Government did not
sell the monopoly, the drugs would not be so easily
procurable, and so many shops would not be opened.
If the business were left entirely in private hands,
I think the production and sale of ganja would
both fall off. I have heard that the drug plant
grows spontaneously, and that it is cultivated to-
wards the east. The people who are ruined by the
Government trade are the ganja smokers, not the
population in general. By the best classes I mean
the educated classes who have learnt English, not
Sanskrit or Arabic scholars. The latter will pro-
bably agree with those of English education. It is
among the Nauakpanthis that tobacco is under the
stricter prohibition. By Nauakpanthis I mean the
Sikhs. But both Brahmins and Sikhs hold the
drugs to be forbidden. There are no Brahmins in
my district who offer ganja to Mahadev, but bhang
is so used.
Question 45.—I know and have related instances
in which the moderate use of the drug has caused
insanity. The most noteworthy case of the kind is
that of Gokal Singh, a distant connection of mine.
The ease occurred two years ago. Gokal Singh
must be now 28 years of age. His father told me
he had been taking only six or eight chillums a day,
as he could not afford to spend more than one anna
a day on ganja. During that year I stayed in his
parents' house, sometimes three or four days, and
once for a fortnight. I observed on these occasions
the symptoms I have described. For the year Gokal
Singh was at home he got no ganja, and was res-
tored to his senses. I heard he had been smoking
ganja for two years before he lost his wits. I don't
know from whom he learnt the habit. When he
lived with me he asked for ganja, but it was not
supplied. In 1892 he got ganja again or money to
procure it. He came back to me, and appeared to
be on the high road to a relapse into his previous
condition. He is now at home. He was dismissed
from the police because of his negligence brought
on by the ganja before he spent the year at his own
home. He was active in mind and body before he
took to ganja. In 1891 I found him sometime un-
able to understand what I said to him. His father
was an intelligent man, but not educated. There
was no defect in the mind of either parent. I have
heard that his great-grandfather was leprous. This
is the case of which I have the best direct know-
legde of all details. I know of other cases of insanity
caused by ganja smoking. I know some six insane
people in Azamgarh city, of whom two are women
and four men. In regard to three of them (men),
I am sure their insanity is due to ganja. In regard
to the fourth, I am doubtful, because people say he
does not smoke ganja. Beyond the Azamgarh cases
I do not know any insanes personally anywhere.
The women's insanity is possibly due to mental
causes. I should expect that more than half of the
insanes in the Azamgarh district would have been
brought to the condition by use of the drugs. The
remark at the end of my description of Iswari
Singh's case should be that I have drawn my in-
ferences from his and Gokal Singh's cases.
Question 46.—My remark that the major por-
tion of the inmates of lunatic asylums, etc., must
surely be the products of the excessive use of ganja
and charas is founded on the cases of Iswari Singh
and Gokal Singh.
Question 49.—The three insane men in Azam-
garh are not the sole sources of the information on
which I have framed my answers to this question.
They are, however, all childless. They never had
any children born as far as I know. They are
married men. Iswari Singh has a wife only, but
no children. Gokal Singh is not married.
Question 59.—I object to the use of all drags,
including alcohol. I have never taken part in pub-
licly repressing consumption of these things. I do
not belong to any Temperance Society. I think
chandu is the most deleterious of all intoxicants,
and that bhang is the least. I have not personal
experience of alcohol; but, as well as I can judge,
ganja and charas are more deleterious that alcohol,
because of their tendency to produce insanity and
imbecility.
237, Evidence of JOYTISH SVARUP, Kayasth, Pleader, Dehra Dun.
1. I have very little (if at all) personal know-
ledge of what I state. My information is derived
from other consumers of the drug for the most part
for ten years and more.
I have been connected with different societies
which condemn the use of all drags, etc. In my
capacity as office bearer to the several societies I had
from time to time to collect information and lay it
before the public.
Aryasamaj, Kayasth Sabha and Temperance
Society are the chief among the societies I have had
the honour to belong to.
2. In my opinion Dr. Prain's definition of bhang,
ganja and charas are correct.
3. I have seen it grow spontaneously in Dehra
Dun and Saharanpur.
4. Bhang, buti, sabzi, vijaya.