23
smoke it to a man, while in the country its con-
sumption is much less general. The total of the
charas-consuming castes in this district is 1,60,000
(men and children, not women).
21. Not used here.
22. Previously Bokhara charas was much used,
but it has now been almost entirely superseded by
Yarkand, which is imported through Hoshiarpur
and Amritsar. The Kumaon charas (called hattu
or chauwarqa) is preferred by the hill people, but
is not known here.
23. Never.
24. By far the largest consumers of bhang are
the chaube brahmans (e.g., in Muttra); after
them, Khatris, banniyas, Rajputs, chauhans.
Lower castes use it much less, and it is much more
frequently drunk than eaten. The total of the
bhang-consuming castes in this district is 81,000
(including men and children, not women); quite
a half of this must be consumers.
25. The answer to this is two-fold. The drug
habit may be said to be confined to Hindus. It
is certain that many of the higher Hindu castes,
though it is lawful for them to drink bhang and
unlawful to drink spirit, are taking to English
wines and spirits, and amongst them the consump-
tion of drugs has diminished.
Among the lower castes, on the other hand,
many of them spirit-consuming, the greatly
increased price of native liquor has certainly given
an impetus to drug consumption. The prices
paid in this district for the drug contract would
show that, on the whole, there has been an increase.
26. For bhang I should say—
For charas—
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
28 per cent.
5
„
56
„
11 „
33 per cent.
16
„
39
„
12
„
27. Bhang.—For the general reply see No.
24, i.e., both the habitual and occasional con-
sumers are drawn from the same classes. But the
largest proportion of habitual consumers is among
chaubes (of Muttra), who take it to increase
hunger, and jogis. Others take it as an aphro-
disiac.
Charas.—The habitual consumers are kahars
and similar labouring castes, who take it to
alleviate fatigue, etc.; fakirs who take it as a non-
aphrodisiac. Other castes, as chauhans, jats,
take it only occasionally.
28. For bhang—(a) 2 tola's utmost, average
6 mashas, price 6 pies.
(b) 4 tolas, 9 pies to 1 anna.
For charas—(a) 1 to 1½ mashas (1½ mashas for
3 pies).
(b) Utmost 1 tola = 2 annas.
29. Bhang.—Some of the following ingre-
dients are always used:—Milk and sugar (when it
is called dudhiya), and cucumber seeds, anise seed,
by better class people, to improve the taste; black
pepper, gur, etc., by the poorer to prevent flatu-
lence; ghumchi leaves, to increase the effect.
Dhatura is sometimes used by fakirs for the last-
mentioned purpose.
Charas is used witk tobacco.
No preparation is sold here under the name of
bhang massala.
30. Bhang as a rule is consumed in solitude.
Charas almost without exception in company.
The use of both is mainly confined to the male
sex (but see 49), but not to any time of life.
Their use, however, is most unusual among
children, except among kahars and mullahs, whose
children learn to smoke charas with their parents
before they reach adolescence.
31. The charas habit is difficult to form; but
once formed, it is with difficulty broken off.
That of bhang, on the other hand, is much easier
both to form and to relinquish. I do not think
the tendency of the habit to develop into the
excessive is very strong.
32. It cannot properly be said that there are
any such customs. Bhang intoxication certainly
being supposed to be pleasing to Shiva, is most
general among followers of Shiva, and bhang is
universally used during Sheovart. This use is
not excessive or injurious, nor is it essential.
33. I would not say that there is any well-
formed or definite public opinion about the use
of drugs. There is, however, a great difference
in the way in which bhang and charas are gener-
ally regarded. The use of charas is associated
with the lower castes; by the higher, it is looked
upon as low and degrading. Bhang consumers,
on the contrary, abound among the rich Hindus,
and its use in moderation is considered no reason
for reproach.
There is no worship of the hemp plant.
34. It would, especially to charas consumers
(see No. 31), because the habit is very hard to
break off. Besides, the use of charas, though it
produces certain diseases, is also the means of
alleviating them. The number of charas con-
sumers may be 10 per cent. of the population.
35. Such prohibition would check consumption
very largely. I do not think that charas, for
example, could be smuggled in very large quan-
tities; nor do I think that drug consumers are
numerous or strong enough to cause trouble.
But the discontent would certainly be serious and
the prohibition would be most impolitic. Among
the richer Hindus it would give an impetus to the
use of spirits, the poorer classes, kahars, etc.,
would have to try and get illicit country liquor.
36. See No. 25.
37. So far as I know, the difference is chiefly
in degree, charas being the stronger.
39. Practically bhang is only eaten or drunk,
and charas only smoked: from this point of
view, smoking is the more harmful form of con-
sumption, as charas is more injurious than bhang.
Bhang smoked is said to be more deleterious than
bhang eaten or drunk.
40. Bhang is frequently prescribed both for
men and cattle. It is used for diarrhoea; the
pounded leaves are used as a snuff in catarrh, the
bark for wounds, poultice of leaves for pains and
swelling of the testicles; the seed is used for
nausea. The smoke or a poultice of the leaves is
excellent for piles. Charas is never prescribed.
41. Bhang has a temporarily beneficial effect
as a digestive, and is more or less used to alleviate
fatigue. It is used to increase hunger by the
chaubes of Muttra. It is used in other way's as
medicine (see 40). Charas is universally used
by kahars, mullahs, etc., to alleviate fatigue or
the effects of cold. It is undoubtedly of use in
malarious tracts, and is used therefore to an
extraordinary extent in the Terai.