is, keeps them warm on these cold nights ; and
the farmers in cold places, when irrigating their
fields during the night, often use charas, and work
most part of the night without any complaint. In
these cold countries English and other persons of
consequence or merchants use wine, tea and warm
clothes, and keep chimneys lighted to protect
themselves from cold. Yet they complain of the
same, and those poor people who scarcely get
these things for their convenience, only use charas
and ganja and spend their cold nights accordingly.
If charas and ganja be disallowed, the poor people
can hardly live. In consequence, in these cold
countries the serving man will not be procurable.
44. The use of these drugs is beneficial, as it
gives appetite, health, strength and energy to those
using it moderately. But their long and im-
moderate use weakens the man and makes him
restless and constipated.
45. Their long use weakens the system and
produces dryness in the brain and body, and are
generally destructive to the manhood of a person.
The use of charas often creates cough and dama
(asthma) and reduces the man's intellects. It
often produces lunacy, and if its use be continued,
this disease often becomes incurable.
47. These drugs do not in any way affect the
children of the persons using them ; but one is
habituated to their use by the company of such
men.
51. Evidence* of HAKIM SALIMULLA, Pathan, Native Physician, Lahore.
1. I have personal experience of the use of
bhang, and am also acquainted with its prepara-
tions. I have myself treated patients suffering
from the injurious effects of charas and bhang,
and have also visited the assemblages of five, ten
or more smokers of charas and witnessed their
condition, not with a view to prepare myself for
giving evidence regarding the use of the drugs,
but with a view to acquire a complete knowledge of
the subject, so as to be able to treat such patients.
I have also attended the fairs in which bhang is
excessively used; for instance Shibji ka mela,
Bhaddar Kali ka mela, Bhairon ke Asthan ka
mela.
I have also visited Bhai Koman Singh's re-
sidence (in Sathlani), which place is considered
sacred by the Sikhs. One boat load of bhang
is exempt from duty to this place since Sir
Donald McLeod's time. In all districts of the
Punjab in general, and particularly at Lahore and
Peshawar, which places I myself have seen, bhang
is drunk after being pounded and charas is only
smoked. Sometimes pounded bhang is eaten. I
will explain this more fully futher on.
2. Ganja is neither prepared in the Punjab, nor
have I ever seen it used. My evidence, therefore,
deals with bhang and charas only. The quantity
of bhang consumed in Lahore is imported either
from Hoshiarpur or Gurdaspur, the climate of the
districts being unfavourable to the produce of
bhang. Charas cannot be manufactured from it
It can only be produced from the hemp plant
grown on loamy soil, which is not to be found in
this province. The kind of charas now in use in
the Punjab is imported from Yarkand or Kashghar
by traders.
The charas called garda, which was used here
some fifteen years ago, is not imported here since a
long time. That now in use is of an earthy
colour and a little greasy.
The names of bhang given by Dr. Prain in his
report on the cultivation and use of ganja in
Bengal may be in use in that province, but here
the consumers call it bhang or zamurrid or subja.
In the Multan and Lahore districts it is
generally known by the name of sawi. I do not
consider it necessary to give the names of the
plant in detail.
Most people eat bhang after parching and mix-
ing sugar with it. Moderate consumers of this
kind of bhang can take from 1 to 5 tolas at a
time. Commonly bhang mixed with almond and
cardamom is pounded and drunk after being
mixed with sugar and milk. But where bhang is
distributed as offerings made at shrines, it is only
pounded with a small quantity of black pepper
and salt.
On occasions of marriages or other such
ceremonies, bhang is jocosely given (to guests)
mixed with sweetmeats and kachauries (a kind of
pastry filled with bruised pulse). Excessive con-
sumers also eat it cooked with meat. A prepara-
tion of bhang called majum is mostly made here
by the following process : Ten seers of bhang
is put into two maunds of water, and after thus
keeping it for two or three days, it is boiled so as
to reduce the water to 20 or 25 seers. This water
is then mixed with five seers of ghi and cooked
until it becomes thick. It is then cooled, and
ghi, which becomes condensed, is extracted and
the water thrown away. This ghi is then mixed
with a thick paste of sugar, which, after cooling,
becomes condensed, and its slices are called ma-
jum. Its intoxication is generally pleasant, This
kind of ghi can also be used in producing sweet-
meats of other sorts.
19. Charas is only smoked by putting it in a
chillum between two layers of tobacco.
23. Where charas is not procurable, consumers
smoke bhang mixed with tobacco. Its intoxica-
tion is almost similar to that of charas.
28. (a) Habitual moderate consumers—each
5 tolas of bhang at a time, 3 pies worth of charas
at a time. Charas is, however, smoked up to one
tola in company.
(b) Habitual excessive consumers—each ¼ seer
bhang at a time, 5 tolas charas at a time, and in
company up to 10 tolas.
29. Dhatura is the only ingredient which is
mixed with charas and kept by thieves and high-
way robbers to give fraudulently to their fellow-
travellers for smoking. This smoke causes ins-
tantaneous stupefaction to the smokers, who can-
not take care of their property, and are thus
plundered by the robbers.
The use of cantharides is unknown in this pro-
vince. Strychnia is never mixed with charas.
Indeed madak, which is a preparation of opium,
is sometimes mixed with charas to enhance its
intoxication.
As far as I know, bhang massala is neither
mixed with charas nor sold. Ordinarily, black
pepper, salt or sugar, or black sugar and milk
is mixed with bhang Exceptionally, almonds,
pistachio, cocoanut, rasins, and saffron. Native
physicians also mix bhang in a kind of thick
* Translation.
vol. v.
3 Q 2