98
45. (e) Yes.
47. No.
49. (a) and (b) Yes.
(d) Excessive use leads to impotence.
51. Moderate consumers are not known to
commit any offence.
52. People excessively using ganja are known
to commit offences to person and property.
53. Yes; excessive use is known to excite anger
and thus to lead to violent acts.
54. Yes; robbers and dacoits before attempting
the crime are known to use them.
55. (a) Yes.
(b) Yes.
56. Thugs, criminals and dacoits administer
dhatura mixed with ganja to unwary travellers
and pilgrims and to children to rob them of their
gold.
57. Generally smoked.
58 and 59. By raising the duty immoderate use
may be checked.
63 and 64. No objection.
68. There are shops, but no houses or premises.
The present system is working well.
69. Yes.
70. There are no facts regarding the import-
ation or smuggling of hemp drugs from Native
States. Duty is paid. There is no general use
of untaxed drugs.
42. Evidence of BABU NAVIN KRISHNA BANERJI, Brahman, Deputy Magistrate
and Deputy Collector, Purulia, District Manbhum.
1. My father, the late Babu Mathura Nath
Banerji, was for many years, till the time of his
death in October 1870, the Excise Deputy Col-
lector of Rajshahi, and as such had the ganja cul-
tivation under his charge. I was for some three
months employed as Excise Deputy Collector of
Calcutta. I had during my service to hold tem-
porary charge of Excise Deputy Collector's duties.
My experience therefore on the whole is limited.
2. The three products are known by the name
given by Dr. Prain, the only difference being that
bhang or siddhi is also called sabji at different
places.
3. Rajshahi and Jessore.
4. See answer to question 2.
5. Wild hemp grows in rather alluvial and
moist, but not brackish, soil.
6. Generally dense.
7. In Rajshahi.
(a) Yes.
(b) Yes.
(c) Yes.
(d) Not known to me.
15. (A) Ganja is smoked with tobacco leaves and
prepared tobacco, after having been well moist-
ened, cut, and then broken up by pressure of the
thumb on the palm of the hand. Well-to-do per-
sons moisten it with a sprinkling of rose-water
when being rubbed on the palm of the hand.
(B) Ganja is not eaten, but siddhi or bhang is.
(C) Bhang, when well prepared, is made from
wild hemp leaves boiled in a mixture of milk and
water and then dried. It is well kneaded with anise
seed and pepper, generally in a stone pot by a
nim sonta or stick. It is then mixed with a good
quantity of water and drunk. With a view to
make it agreeable to taste, milk, sugar, spices and
sprinkling of rose-water are also mixed up with
it before being drunk. The addition of sugar,
however, increases its intoxicating power. Most
of the lower classes of up-country men drink siddhi,
They say it cools the stomach and prevents
diarrhœa. Charas is mixed up with prepared
tobacco and smoked. Siddhi is also drunk at
times by respectable people during the hot season.
16. Formerly, before bhang was included as an
exciseable article, it was prepared by the people at
their own houses. Siddhi is prepared from the
leaves of the male hemp plants. Ganja and
charas are never prepared from the wild hemp
plant known as siddhi.
18. Siddhi with occasional exposure to the sun
may be preserved without deterioration for about
two years. The same may be said with regard to
ganja. Dampness and insects spoil them.
19. I have seen ganja being placed in cocoa-
nut oil and high-boiled for application in cases of
skin diseases of children.
20. The Bagdis, Dulias, Baistavs, garwans,
sanyasis, fakirs and hard-working menial class
smoke ganja. About one-twentieth of the peo-
ple at least of almost all localities smoke ganja;
charas is seldom smoked. It is generally smoked
by the uneducated gentry, specially on the
occasion of a public fair and entertainment,
etc.
21. Round ganja is almost universally pre-
ferred for smoking, as it contains more of the
resinous matter than in any other kind of it.
Poor people for cheapness generally buy the flat
ganja.
22. Charas is generally brought by licensed
vendors from Calcutta.
23. I have never heard of bhang-smoking.
24. Bhang is generally drunk. It is chewed
with betel in rare cases of diarrhœa. Majum, a
preparation of siddhi with sweet, is also eaten.
It is sold in tablets It is very seldom sold or
used.
25. Ganja-smoking is still on the increase
among the lower classes where country liquor is
not cheap. The smoking of charas is much on
the decline. The drinkiug of siddhi may be said
to be rather stationary.
26.
Ganja.
Siddhi.
Per cent.
Per cent.
(a)
75
50
(b)
5
1
(c)
15
48
(d)
5
1
27. Hard-working people smoke ganja to give
them relief in their work and to protect them
from the effects of the climate. People with
sufficient means and no work become excessive
consumers of the drug. Sanyasis and fakirs who
have little or no work and often travel unprotect
ed in different climates cannot do without ganja.