467
of population both high and low earn money,
therefore they prefer to use superior intoxicants to
inferior ones. This change is attributed to the
following causes: Alcohol does not emaciate the
body or weaken the powers or injure the senses or
bring on idleness. As for the proof of this state
of tilings, I can adduce my own experience and
daily observation.
37. The effects of smoking charas differ from
the effects of drinking bhang in this, that the
narcotic effect of charas is instantaneous, but bhang
takes some time to produce its effects. The nar-
cosis produced by charas is heavier than that pro-
duced by bhang. Charas smoking does not pro-
duce appetite for food so quickly and so sharp as
does bhang drinking. Bhang drinking does not
produce so much dryness as does charas smoking.
Charas smoking produces burning
of the
chest, bhang drinking does not. The bhang
consumer, when under its influence, sees small
objects large, such is not the case with charas
smokers. Charas smokers become thinner and
thinner every day, but bhang drinkers do not.
Smokers of charas become pusillanimous, but not
the bhang drinkers.
Charas smoker's colour
becomes yellow, but of bhang drinker's red. Bhang
drinker becomes sulky, but not so the charas
smoker. Charas smoker becomes bold, but not so
the bhang drinker.
39. I have not answered this question.
40. The more learned among the native physi-
cians employ bhang and charas in many diseases on
account of their medicinal properties, for instance,
they put these drugs in pills and confections and
in stimulant mixtures to check speedy discharge
of semen. In pills the whole plant is used, and in
confections and stimulant mixtures, sometimes the
whole plant and sometimes the oil, and sometimes
an infusion is mixed in them. On the tumours of
bleeding and bilious piles poultices are applied to
the annus, and bhang leaves warmed are also used
as fomentations to relieve the pain, for bhang is an
anodyne. On bilious and vascular sore-eyes, bhang
poultice is applied to the back of the eyes. In
bilious and vascular headaches embrocation is
applied to the forehead. Bhang leaves used as
snuff clear the brain. The leaves of the wild hemp
are used as insecticide, for killing lice. In earache
the juice of the leaves is dropped into the painful
ear. The eating of the leaves dries up the mois-
ture of the stomach and also that of the abdomen.
The leaves are diuretics and they heal up sores.
For want of time I have not been able to mention
the uses in detail.
41. Since the leaves of bhang possess a variety
of powers, that is to say, as they are stimulant and
intoxicant, and in the commencement as bhang
and charas excite the virile powers and lust and
act as digestive and fatten the body by collecting
the humours, therefore in the commencement they
increase appetite for food, give staying-power
under severe labour and exposure to cold and heat.
Besides those who use bhang get rid of fatigue as
soon as they use it, and the diseases which origi-
nate on account of foul air are also prevented,
such as epidemic fevers and cholera loose much of
their virulency by using bhang and are also useful
in sickly localities, and they may be useful in
other ways also, for instance, bhang leaves with a
little water, and after being warmed and placed
over a leaf of the castor plant and applied to the
testicle reduce the swelling of the organ.
42. If the moderate use of charas and bhang
does no good to one who is accustomed to the ex-
cessive use, then these drugs are harmless, and
since he has not been able to obtain his accustomed
and desired dose, so as to establish a habit, there-
fore the drugs are beneficial to him, and if the
moderate use is not beneficial to one who is not
accustomed to the use of charas and bhang, then
they are not harmless also. The reason is obvious.
44. The immediate effect of the moderate use
of charas and bhang on the habitual consumer is
that he gets intoxicated and feels satisfied. If he
is very hungry then he can sustain himself for a
long time, and if he has no appetite then he feels
hungry. Slight narcotic effects last for six hours.
When the effect is over, then craving for the
drug comes on again and he feels uneasy. The
state of the habitual moderate consumer can be
gathered from my above statement. There is no
room from writing further about this subject.
45. The following are the evil consequences of
moderate habitual use of charas and bhang :—The
subject becomes proud and cruel, his eyesight
becomes weak. There is melancholia, fear and con-
fusion of intellect. Its effects on the brain are
insanity, hallucinations, evil thoughts, immoral
thoughts, hatred of society of good men ; irrele-
vant talking. Charas and bhang produce many
injurious effects on body, for instance, impotency,
dropsy, headache, windiness, flatulency of the
belly, andmia and edima of the limbs and face,
change of colour of the countenance, dropping
off of the teeth, and general debility, which
together impair digestion. Some persons get
diarrhoea, cough, and asthma, and they become
immoral also. In the commencement the con-
sumer is led to debauchery. In my opinion in-
sanity is the result, but the insanity is not per-
manent ; but the symptoms are reinduced by use
of the drug after liberation from restraint.
56. Evidence* of SODHI GAJINDAR SING, Honorary Magistrate, Anandpur, District
Hoshiarpur.
1. My answers are based on the information
obtained from the public, and also on my own
experience.
2. I know about bhang and charas only; bhang
is also known by the name of sukha, especially
among the Sikhs of this ilaka.
3. Spontaneous hemp plant grows in abund-
ance in the Hoshiarpur and Kangra districts.
4. The plant is called bhang, and sukha and
its preparation is called charas.
5. Cold climate and gritty and sandy soil liable
to flood is necessary for the growth of the plant.
6. The growth of the wild hemp is ordinarily
dense.
7. I have neither seen any one cultivating
bhang, nor have ever heard of its cultivation in
the Punjab.
8 to 11. Is not cultivated.
12 and 13. As hemp is not cultivated here, I
know nothing about its cultivation.
Vol. v.
* Translation.
3 R 2