63
34. Evidence of MR. PASLEY,* Inspector of Police and Superintendent of
City Police, Jabalpur.
51. I do not think that more than 20 per cent.
of the bad characters are moderate smokers of
these drugs in this city. These ganja smokers
commit petty thefts only.
52. About 10 per cent, of the bad characters
of this city are excessive ganja smokers ; they
are not addicted to any special class of crime,
but commit petty thefts like the others when
driven to it for want of funds to obtain the
drug.
53. The excessive use of this drug incites bad
characters to quarrel with people and ultimately
to fight. Bairagis and sadhns are much addict-
ed to the use of the drug, and I have known an
instance in which one sadhu, when excited under
the excessive indulgence of ganja, killed a fellow
sadhu.
51. I do not think these drugs are used by
criminals to fortify themselves to commit a pre
-meditated act of violence or other crime, but in
almost 90 cases out of 100 criminals indulge in
liquor for the above purpose.
55. I have not heard of instances in which cri-
minals resort to these drugs to stupefy their
victims. The common article used is dhatura
seed; complete stupefaction can be induced by this
drug. 1 have known cases in which persons have
put ganja into a " chillam " and induced a friend
to smoke it (in joke), making him believe it was
tobacco, and the result was serious.
35. Evidence of BRIGADE-SURGEON–LIEUTENANT-COLONEL J . B. GAFFNEY,
Civil Surgeon, Jabalpur.
1. I have been twenty-five years a Civil Surgeon
in the Central Provinces, and have held charge
of the Jabulpur Lunatic Asylum for the last
seven months.
I regret I am unable to give any information
or offer opinions of any value.
Lunatic asylums afford much information, but
I have been but a short time in charge of a
lunatic asylum.
2. I consider the definitions correct for the
Central Provinces. I know of no local names.
19. I know ganja to be smoked. I know
nothing of the use of other forms of consumption
of the drug.
23. I have no knowledge.
28. I know not.
36. I cannot offer an opinion.
37. No knowledge.
39, I have only known of ganja being smoked
and know nothing of the consumption of other
forms of the drug. I don't consider moderate
smoking prejudical, and have from an early period
o f m y s e r v i c e u n d e r s t o o d t h a t a l a r g e P e r c e n t a g e o f l u n a t i c s c o n f i n e d i n a s y l u m s w a s c a u s e d b y t h e
excessive use of ganja.
40. I am not aware of any of the preparations
of hemp being so used.
41. I consider the moderate smoking of ganja
may be useful to assuage the pangs of hunger,
and that it also gives staying-power under severe
exertion. I have never heard it spoken of as a
preventative of disease.
42. I consider a moderate use of ganja to be
beneficial when a stimulant is necessary, or when
the sedative effects are desirable in pain, either
mental or bodily.
41. I consider the immediate effect of moder-
ate smoking of ganja is refreshing and stimu-
lating. I have seen the driver of my bullock
tonga have a few whiffs of ganja when oppor-
tunity occurred on long fatiguing journeys. It
did him more good than harm.
45. (a) I think not.
(6) to (e) Not that I am aware of.
(f) I don't think moderate smoking produces
any of these ill-effects. Were it so, the effects
of the large amounts sold by contractors would
manifest themselves more fully amongst the
people. Inordinate smoking may produce in-
sanity, I have no doubt, and I have seen cases
attributed to the abuse of the drug. But I am of
opinion that it is not the habitual steady con-
sumer who is likely to become insane ; it is the
young man beginning, or the older consumer who
in times of excitement, like festivals, indulges to
excess, that has his reason upset ; and these cases
partake of the nature of acute mania from which
recovery takes place in a short time. The older and
heavier consumer may sink into incurable lunacy.
4 6 . I h a v e n o i n f o r m a t i o n .
47. I am not aware of any evidence of heredity
in the ganja habit,
4S. I have no knowledge.
49. I am unable to offer an opinion on these
points.
50. No information.
56. I know of no admixtures being used.
57. I have no knowledge of any form of ganja
being eaten or drunk, except the pharmacopœial
preparations used by medical men.
Oral evidence.
Question 1.—While I was in hospital practice
at home, I had a subsidiary lunatic asylum, and
thus had lunatics to treat. I also visited occasion-
ally the Richmond Lunatic Asylum hard by with
the principal Doctor. I was also for three years
in a work-house near Dublin where we had
lunatics. Apart from my seven months in the
Jabalpur Asylum, I have had experience of
lunatics in jails and as Civil Surgeon in several
districts.
Question. 39.—So long as twenty-seven years ago
Dr. Wise, Superintendent of the Asylum at Dacca,
told me he thought a third of the lunatics in the
asylum owed their insanity to ganja. It is also
stated in our books that insanity is often due
to ganja. I have thus held this. I cannot myself
set down any proportion. I have found many
* Summoned to attend at a sitting of the Commission for oral examination, but was unable to appear.