278
19. Ganja and charas are smoked in a chillum
(bowl) and in no other way.
20. Generally assemblies of Naga and fakirs
and jogis and bairagis, etc., smoke them, and
kahars, beldars, hajam, dairis, and the lower castes.
Among fakirs 95 per cent., and of others 80 per
cent. may smoke the drug. Fakirs generally do
so in places of pilgrimage, such as A judhia, Mut-
tra, Hurdwar, Rishikesh, etc., and others in
Muradabad, Bareilly, Bijnor, Rehar, etc.
22. Foreign charas is generally used, and it
comes from the direction of Afghanistan.
23. Bhang is not smoked.
24. Generally fakirs, and among Brahmins the
Choubeys eat and drink bhang ; but certain men
of all classes use it. They are most numerous at
Benares, Hardwar, Jwalepur, and Kenhal, etc.
25. The use of charas is increasing, the rea-
sou being that liquor has become dearer ; this, a
rapid and strong intoxicant, is cheap ; also the
intoxication is rapidly arrived at, and so suits the
lower classes.
27. The Choubes of Muttra use bhang exces-
sively because it gives an appetite, and they get
the best food gratis as alms ; so far that they are
sometimes offered money to eat more. As to |
charas, the most habitual consumers are Nagas
and bairagis, as they suffer less from hunger and
cold from using it.
28. The average allowance which a habitual
moderate consumer of charas would take is 6
mashas per diem, value 6 pies. An excessive con-
sumer would take three tolas per diem, value
about 4 annas. An habitual moderate consumer
of bhang would take about a pice weight, value
with pepper 2 pies; an excessive consumer would
take half chittack of bhang, value 6 pies with
black pepper.
29. Charas is only as a rule mixed with tobacco.
With bhang black pepper is usually mixed to
prevent wind. With "shanhia bhang" milk and
white sugar, and in the hot weather rose leaves,
kahu, sonf, kasni, white cardamoms, almonds,
melon seeds, which are known as "thandai" in
the bazar are mixed. The object is, as regards
charas, to prevent too rapid consumption and re-
duce the intoxicating effects. The mixture with
bhang makes it more pleasant and keeps off dry-
ness ; the black pepper prevents wind. Dhatura is
not used.
80. Charas is generally smoked in company.
Bhang is usually consumed in solitude and by
males ; but there is no custom as to ages. Child-
ren do not generally use it.
31. The habit of using bhang is easily formed,
that of using charas slowly. It is not difficult to
break off the habit, but it is distasteful. There is
no doubt a tendency with both drugs for the
habit to develop into excess.
32. There is no religious custom in which the
use of these drugs is imperative ; but commonly
Hindus use bhang and its other preparations, such
as majun, in the Holi festival. As the festival
occurs only once a year the use of it then does not
lead to habitual use, nor is there any great harm
done.
33. The use of charas is wholly condemned, and
only the low and stupid and short-sighted use it.
There is no caste or religious opinion regarding it.
Bhang is not thought badly of if used in modera-
tion ; but the excessive use gives a man a bad
name. The reason is that intoxication makes a
human being no longer human. There is no cus-
tom of worshipping the plant.
34. There would be no such deprivation to any
class as would interfere with life or health. Un-
doubtedly, to have to give it up suddenly, would
be a deprivation, and cause distress. This would
be the case not with any class in particular but
with all consumers.
35. It seems somewhat unsuitable to prohibit
all at once with a stroke of the pen, as people who
have long been habitual consumers would certainly
seek to get the drug to which they are accustom-
ed by illicit means. Further, they would suffer
excessively. It would be better to check by de-
grees, by raising the price and reducing the num-
ber of shops. To suddenly prohibit would un-
doubtedly cause severe discontent among consum-
ers, even though it would not amount to a
political danger.
36. No other intoxicant is taking the place of
bhang and charas.
39. Charas is only smoked.
40. Bhang is used in Hindustani medicine, and
also in cattle disease.
41. Moderate use of bhang has beneficial
effects.
(a) It assists digestion.
(b) It does not alleviate fatigue.
(c) It to a slight extent prevents malaria.
(d) It is used for piles as a poultice.
The above uses are not confined to any class,
and refer only to moderate use.
42. The average use even of charas is injurious,
for, from the beginning it causes cough and
dries up the body, and in the end results in
asthma.
43. Moderate consumers of charas are a nuisance
to their neighbours, but not the consumers
of bhang.
The affluvium of charas smoke is
offensive.
41. The habitual user of charas is at once
intoxicated; the pangs of hunger are mitigated,
and the brain heated. Its results remain for
two hours more or less. After that, on account
of the dryness, there is a desire for sweetmeats,
cream, etc. There is a resultant thirst. The use
of bhang moderately gives pleasure and induces
appetite. After that there is no reaction, as in
the case of other intoxicants.
45. The habitual moderate use of charas injure
the body and soul and morals. The body becomes
thin, the digestion is weakened, and the appetite
impaired
Cough and asthma follow.
The
moral senses are twisted ; advice is not listened
to ; and the power of argument is destroyed and
languor follows. Lust is not stimulated ; mode-
rate use does not result in idiotcy.
The habitual moderate use of bhang injures
neither body nor mind.
46. The excessive use of charas in addition to
cough, etc., causes a kind of idiotcy. The exces-
sive use of bhang destroys the brain power.
47. The moderate use does not lead to a here-
ditary habit; but children may partly inherit
the results.
48. The excessive habitual use of bhang and
charas makes the children small brained and in-
clined to intoxicants.
49. Charas is not an aphrodisiac but the reverse.
Bhang neither increases nor diminishes the desire.
Prostitutes do not usually use either.