141
(c) as a febrifuge or preventive of disease in
malarious or unhealthy tracts;
(d) I know of no other way.
The Gonds, Gowaries, Powars, Halbas and other
labouring classes. I refer to both moderate
occasional use and moderate habitual use. In
Bhandara and Balaghat districts, the labouring
classes in the malarious and unhealthy parts use
ganja smoking for the above use.
42. I consider the moderate use of the drug as
beneficial as well as harmless, as far as ganja is
concerned.
43. Moderate consumers are generally inoffen-
sive to their neighbours, as far as ganja is
concerned.
44. The immediate effect of ganja smoking,
moderately, on habitual smokers is to create a kind
of forgetfulness and an aptitude for work. It is
refreshing after severe fatigue. It produces in--
toxication when inhaled. It does not allay hunger
but creates appetite. The effects last about two
hours. The after-effects are naturally languor and
weakness. In habitual smokers the want of subse--
quent gratification produces longing or uneasiness.
Habitual moderate smokers generally use it after
meals, and the want of it generally causes indiges--
tion or bloating of the stomach.
45. The habitual moderate use of ganja smok-
ing does not produce any noxious effect, except
the affecting of the lungs, which causes either
bronchitis or asthma, which generally comes on in
old age, It does impair moral sense or induce
laziness, or immorality or debauchery, when used
for the purpose. It has the effect of deadening
the intellect, but I have not seen a case of moderate
smokers becoming insane. In excessive smokers
it certainly leads to insanity of a temporary
character, and the symptoms do come on by the
use of the drug, I know of only one case, Em--
press vs. Amdoo, No. 12—1892, dated 9th May
1892, for attempting two murders, under section
307. In this case although temporary insanity
was pleaded, yet from the admission of the father
of the accused, I learnt that the fits of insanity used
to come on on the use of ganja smoking. His
father told me that these fits were induced by
excessive ganja smoking. The accused was under
observation of the Civil Surgeon, but no such fits
were observed just because he was not allowed to
smoke ganja in jail. The accused in this case
ordered one of his servants to tie his bullocks and
the servant not having obeyed him immediately, he
committed a most murderous assault by a hatchet,
giving him four blows ; and then he ordered
another servant to catch him and immediately
assaulted him also, and it was with difficulty that
the hatchet was taken away from his hand, and
afterwards he absconded. In defence a number
a these fits of insanity were put forward, which
I believe were all cau s ed by ganja smoking to the
excess.
46. I am of opinion that the excessive use of
ganja does impair the constitution, injures the
digestion, and causes loss of appetite, causes bron--
chitis and asthma, and impairs the moral sense
and intellect, and causes insanity of a temporary
nature.
I know of another ease of Nilkant Bhicajee
Joshi who served as Station Master at Khandwa
and other stations of the Great Indian Peninsula
Railway. He became addicted to ganja smoking
for keeping up on night duty. Afterwards his
brain was so much deranged that he was kept under
observation at the Civil Hospital at Bhandara.
He was not admitted in the Lunatic Asylum
as his insanity was of a temporary nature. He
never recovered, and died in the same temporary
i n s a n i t y k e p t u p b y g a n j a s m o k i n g .
I learn that the late Station Master of Kamptee,
Balajee Gunputh, died by excessive smoking of
ganja at Nagpur.
47. The moderate use of gauja smoking is not
hereditary, and it does not affect the children.
48. Excessive habit of ganja smoking is not
hereditary, but it affects the health of the children,
as they are generally weak and pale.
49. The moderate use of ganja is practised as
an aphrodisiac. It is used by prostitutes. I do not
think that moderate use is more injurious than
ordinary narcotic : moderate use of hemp does
not tend to produce impotence.
50. I believe excessive use of this drug is gene-
rally made by prostitutes and others as an aphro--
disiac. This is smoked generally after smoking
opium. When used excessively it is more injurious
than ordinary narcotic, and tends to produce im-
potence.
51. The large proportion of moderate smokers
of ganja are not generally bad characters, and
moderate smoking of ganja has no connection
with crime.
52. Large proportion of excessive smokers are
bad characters, such as habitual thieves, prosti--
tutes, companions of prostitutes and habitual de-
- b a u c h e e s , g e n e r a l l y i n d u l g e i n e x c e s s i v e u s e o f t h i s
drug. The only connection it has to crime is
to satisfy the cravings of this vice.
53. See case cited in Questions Nos. 45 and
46. Excessive indulgence does make a man of
irritable temper and for slight provocation cause
the person to commit atrocities.
54. Yes.
55. I don’t know of any such cases. I do not
think complete stupefaction can be induced by
this drug w ithout admixture.
56. In the admixture mentioned in Question
19 the effect of ganja (b) is modified as to
convert it into a cooling drink. In excessive use
in admixtures the effects are not speedily felt
but last long. With regard to dhatura ad-
mixtures, see my answer to Question 29.
57. I cannot tell as I have not personally
watched the effect of it.
58. I am in favour of the present system of
selling ganja to wholesale vendors, who sell to
retail vendors at a certain price. The price at
which it is sold will be always a check to ex-
cessive use. I am against the farming of ganja
to contractors as the Government has no control
on its consumption under that system. Ganja
is not produced in Bhandara district.
6 1 . C h a r a s i s n o t p r o d u c e d i n B h a n d a r a d i s t r i c t .
62. I cannot answer this question.
63 and 64. None.
65. With reference to country liquor, I think
the present taxation on ganja, as sold by retail
vendors to people, is rather high. Ganja is sold
to vendors at Rs. 3 per seer, and. they sell at
R s . 1 0 p e r s e e r t o t h e p u b l i c .I
t h i n k t h e
vendors should be bound down to certain maxi-
- m u m r a t e .
6 6 . I c a n n o t a n s w e r t h i s q u e s t i o n .
67. I have no other objection except the above.
The large profit which wholesale and retail
vendors make on the sale of ganja to the public
should be stopped.