349
40. We never know of its use by itself, but as a
component in certain medicines. I do not know
whether it is used for treatment of cattle diseases.
41. By a moderate use of the drug, the con-
sumer feels pleasant and gets rid of cough, if he
has any.
42. Yes, beneficial, used moderately. Even by
intemperate use, no positive harm seems to be
caused.
43. Yes.
44. It intoxicates him and takes away weari-
ness, promotes appetite. I think the intoxication
lasts for about 6 hours. It brings on constipation.
It weakens a man and increases bile. It produces
longing.
45. It will act as poison if in the habitual use of
it intemperance is reached.
On heated constitutions it has the effect of
weakening. On flabby constitutions it has a good
effect. It dulls intelligence. The use of it retards
the desire for sexual intercourse. It impairs the
constitution by making the man lean. Increases
digestion, removes dysentery and cough. It does
not impair the moral sense. It induces laziness. By
very intemperate use insanity is likely to come on.
47. No.
49. It promotes sexual strength by its being
used in halwas. By smoking hemp too much,
impotence will ensue.
51. Yes; no connection at all, the consumers
being as a rule timid.
53. It does not at all excite. I do not know of
any case, but it seems to lead to such an effect.
54 and 55. No.
136. Evidence of MR. W. A. SYMONDS, Agent and Manager to the Lessees of
Sivaganga Zainindari, Madura District.
36. I have little doubt of it. The cause is the
increased facility of supply, which has created
demand. It is difficult to conjecture the precise
nature of the proof demanded. Exact statistics,
if they can be got, may furnish it, provided the
facts underlying the figures are not obscured either
by careless or too astute handling of the latter.
By the abkari system, liquor has been brought to
the doors of numbers who had before to traverse
not inconsiderable distances for it, and this has
been accomplished by the multiplication of shops
which were formerly few and far between. Those
who can believe that the admitted increase in
abkari revenue has been accompanied by a decrease
of consumption would believe anything. The plain
truth is that the Government raises revenue to
provide for luxuries, such as its prolonged annual
residence at Ootacamund, and not merely to meet
necessary expenses in governing the Madras Pre-
sidency, throughout which the number of drunkards
who reel about the public roads of an evening has
increased, and is increasing.
44. I have seen habitual consumers out of
health and miserably depressed when the supply
was suddenly cut off. I refer to prisoners in jails
under my charge. I was the Superintendent of
one Central Prison and another for twenty years.
53. I have known the mildest prisoners commit
aggravated assaults on their fellow-prisoners and
on prison officers when under the influence of these
drugs, and I believe that my experience in this
respect will be confirmed by every Superintendent
of a large central jail of any considerable experi-
ence.
Oral Evidence.
1. I was in Government employ for more than
30 years in this presidency. My present post is
not under Government. My service is closed, and
I am drawing pension.
36. My answer does imply that the consump-
tion of the hemp drug is on the decrease, and pre-
sumably, therefore, the cultivation and manufac-
ture also. But I have no direct evidence of this.
It is only deduced from the increase of alcohol con-
sumption.
41. My answer is only based upon personal
knowledge. I learnt from the doctors that the
persons I refer to were ganja consumers. Once a
week the Superintendent of the jail and Medical
Officer hold a joint inspection, and it was on these
occasions probably that the doctors mentioned the
fact. Prisoners never dreamed of asking me for
ganja, as it is a prohibited article. They did some-
times ask the dressers and the Medical Officer ; but
I am certain that a medical recommendation for
ganja never was made. Such recommendations
have been made for tobacco. What I have recorded
of the effects of deprivation relates principally to
opium ; but I remember that the hemp drugs were
also mentioned in that connection, though much
less frequently than opium.
45. I should say that ganja was unquestionably
doing more harm than alcohol or opium, and that
opium was the least harmful of the three. By
ganja, I mean the flowering head of the plant
either smoked or eaten. I should think it was
more harmful than opium-smoking; but I limited
my written answers to three of the Commission's
questions, because I thought they contained the
only points on which I was qualified. to speak. I
have no special knowledge of the subject, except
such as could be picked up by a Superintendent of
a jail.
53. I can recollect assaults of the kind having
been committed; but I cannot give the number of
the cases that occurred. They occurred in every
jail of which I have been in charge. The ganja
must have been smuggled into the jail. I cannot
remember the details of any single case as regards
name, year, or date. The punishment registers
probably mention ganja in some of these cases. In
many cases, doubtless, punishment was awarded
without the drug having been mentioned at all. I
was never in charge of the Vellore Jail. In the
cases in which these assaults could be with certainty
attributed to ganja, the man's breath would smell
of it, or ganja might be found on his person, or
witnesses or jail officials might have seen him
smoking. Prisoners might undoubtedly break out
and commit violent assaults without being under
the influence of narcotics.