268
It is dried with the ganja plant and mixed and
smoked with the ganja in the chillum. It
creates a taste and makes the drug strong in its
effects. The sellers adulterate the drug in order
to form of the genuine stuff. In this they use
the babul, indigo, and tulsi leaves, the object
being to get a good price for the proper quality.
Purchasers cannot, as a rule, detect their devices,
though the taste changes. These leaves do not
prove hurtful, and their effect is not poisonous.
30. Of the three drugs in question ganja, 6
mashas, is sufficient to intoxicate, smoked alone
or in company ; bhang, 9 mashas, in company ;
charas, 6 mashas, in company. The men, or the
male sex generally, use the above intoxicants, and
at all ages, Children are not given these drugs
in any shape or instance.
31. The habit of taking grows generally, and
there is a difficulty to abstain felt, because habit
is a second nature. When once the habit has
been formed, there is a likelihood to carry it to
excess.
32. There is no religious law enjoining the use
of these drugs. The illiterate Brahmans seem
only to choose the use by calling it "Mahadeo ki
buti," the beneficial use being the effect produced in
thinking of God and His kingdom, rising in
thought to heaven and its glories, and then sud-
denly collapsing into the infernal regions ; then
beholding Satan and his colleagues, to the glory
of nobody, but to the intense disgust of his
associates. There is no mention of this drug
(bhang) in the Shastras. This supposition on the
part of these Brahmans is wholly unfounded.
The object is to pass away for smokers and to
screen themselves from blame as the users and
exponents of such authority. Only the artificer
of fraud may be proud of this. The use of this
drug is undoubtedly injurious.
33. The use of these drugs is detested by the
people generally, and their effect is considered most
injurious on the constitution, but not in the case
with bhang when used for piles and gonorrhæa
externally. All drugs and intoxicants, of what-
soever nature, are considered hurtful and bad,
inasmuch as they tend to lower the moral and
intellectual character of the people who use them.
Drugs are not known to be worshipped by any
class.
34, It is difficult for habituals to cease taking
the drugs at once, for the reason that a habit can-
not be cured instantly. Some substitute in de-
creasing quantities should be prescribed. In my
opinion the fact of leaving off any of the drugs
without a substitute would not of itself produce
death. See people in jail.
35. All intoxicants are hurtful and injurious
when taken to excess, as with anything else.
When medicinally used, their effect is the re-
verse. The control of these drugs, etc., always
rested with kings and governments from the
beginning. The strict prohibition of the use of
these drugs would not in any way be a sufficient
reason for discontent and rebellion, though the
loss may and will be sorely felt by a good por-
tion of the population. It is a well-known fact
that Government makes laws for people to obey
for instance, Sati, Age of Consent, etc., and
where there is disobedience the same is enforced.
To introduce any reform the same should be done
gradually and in such a manner as a doctor would
act in treating his patients. In this way there
would be no fear of discontent on the part of the
people. They would hardly notice that change
going on and would be kept peaceful and unin-
tentionally become reconciled to the happy change,
or in words, because the people as a mother does
a child to the new food for her precious milk.
In lieu of the above drugs, liquor and opium,
people use as intoxicants extract of poppy leaves,
or gur, siddhi, and tari.
37. The difference in the effect produced by
ganja and charas is that in the case of intoxicat-
ing effect is slow and over, whereas in the case
of charas the effect is moderate and lasting.
38. Of the different ganjas, the baluchar is the
strongest, murra and chur being not quite so
strong.
39. Of the three drugs in question only bhang
is drank and eaten and not smoked. The other
two are smoked in chillum. If the latter two,
ganja and charas, be drunk or eaten, there will
be no intoxicating effect produced whatsoever.
Used dry in a chillum with fire, it produces effect
desired ; without fire, this effect would be lost.
If bhang be smoked in a chillum, there will be no
intoxicating effect produced. Each drug is used
differently.
40. Out of the three drugs, bhang (owing to
its medicinal properties) is the most useful and
beneficial drug for man and beast. It serves as
a liniment (lape), eaten, drunk. It is a good ap-
petiser and tonic for digestion. It is used in in-
jection for gonorrhœa : it clears the bladder and
heals the wounds. Also used for smoking piles :
it tends to soften them, and thus produces the
easy stools. It is given to bullocks and horses
by way of a stimulant. The quantity to be given
is depending on the prescription of veterinarians
and physicians. It prolongs sexual intercourse ;
and is stupefying, dries the semen, and disturbs
the intellect and produces intoxication ; contracts
the stomach, removes swelling, headache is pro-
duced. Six mashas is an ample one. Ganja is
not used medicinally. Its effect is the same as
stated above.
41. Bhang is an appetiser and relieves fatigue.
Some physicians prescribe it for cholera and
fever and other pestilences. It is used as a disin-
fectant in damp, inodorous places. Its use is
strictly prohibited by Muhammadans.
The
people on tour gave this information. They said
they fire the leaves and smoke them; thus their
houses are purified from the bad air. This was
known when I was with Babu Badri Nath, De-
puty Collector, on tour in March 1893, at Palia
in the north of Kheri district. They further said
they use the leaves to purify the water in their
wells. This was confirmed in my way from
Majgain to Bannubarripur, at a distance of 11
miles. A note to this effect was made in my
diary.
42. Bhang is beneficial when used moderately,
but ganja and charas are reverse, that is, inju-
rious. The habitual users should be made to
lessen the use by degrees.
43. The people who reside near them who
use and eat these drugs are put to much annoy-
ance. The smoking of ganja and charas has
caused many a fire in low houses. Its smell is
injurious to health, and there is a fear of epi-
demics. If these are taken moderately, they will
produce no intoxication one way or the other, but
will tend to increase the use. They will not allay
hunger or interfere with the appetite. These
effects are not lasting in the end. A desire to
take more then remains.