475
is known in this part of the province, and is
generally used.
19. These are used only for smoking at least.
I do not know of any other use.
20. Generally the lower classes of people take
to the habit of smoking ganja. Charas is very
rarely used in these districts. It will not, in my
opinion, be very wide of the truth to say that
almost the major portion of the rural population
of this district, forming especially the lower
strata of society, is addicted more or less to the
habit of smoking ganja.
21. Vide answer No. 2.
23. Bhang is generally used for drinking pur-
poses by people, and largely used by kabirajes
(native physicians) for medicinal purposes. It is
sometimes, but on very rare occasions, used for
smoking also by confirmed ganja smokers, only
when, on account of poverty or some other causes,
they are unable to obtain the necessary supply of
the stronger narcotic, viz., the ganja.
24. The use of bhang is not restricted to any
particular section of the community, but the
practice of taking it in the shape of confections
or sweetmeats prepared with a little admixture
of sugar, milk, and other edibles as well as in the
form of liquid sherbets, obtains even among the
higher orders of society. During the national
festivals of Sarasvati Puja, which takes place
some time in the month of January, the people
consider it to be their religious duty to take
bhang in some shape or other.
25. I think the use of these articles is gra-
dually on the decrease. The reason, as I suppose,
being that along with the spread of English edu-
cation the better or more enlightened classes of
people are beginning to realize their pernicious
effects. Hence their consumption is rarely, if
ever, encouraged by the polite society, although
the tendency has been to introduce spirituous
liquors in their stead to a large extent. The
spread of mass education has also had its desired
effect inasmuch as it has created a strong antipathy
among the lower classes against the use of these
drugs.
26. It is impossible to give anything like an
accurate information on the subject without the
aid of statistics. But roundly speaking, it may
be safely asserted that among the classes of people
who are in the habit of smoking ganja, those who
habitually take it excessively form but a small
minority. This, of course, has reference to the
ordinary state of things in the society. But it is
not unusual to see the peaceful villagers, old and
young, including even those who have not as yet
been initiated in the habit of smoking, gathered
together on special occasions in a common centre
with the avowed object of worshipping the Tri-
nath, another name of Mahadeb (the presiding
deity of all sorts of narcotics), but with the clear
intention of indulging themselves in a sort of
nocturnal revelry to give sauce as it were to
their dull and monotonous life. It is on such
occasions that there is generally a tendency to
excess on the part of those who are already
habitual smokers, as well as to a gradual and
moderate use by those who have not as yet imbibed
the habit.
The excessive use of both ganja and siddhi is to
be found among certain religious sects and men-
dicants popularly known as sanyasis. But they
are so many itinerant vagabonds not coming with-
in the pale of any society.
27. As already adverted to above most of these
men come from the lower orders of society form-
ing the bulk of the artizan and the labouring
classes who depend chiefly on manual labour for
their subsistence; struggle for life being very hard
with them they resort to ganja at first as occasion-
al indulgences only to rid themselves of the fatigue
to which they are constantly subject in earning
their bread. But in course of time when the
habit grows it becomes difficult to shake it off, and
then they have to take it as sheer necessity.
28. (a) The average daily cost entailed by a
habitual moderate consumer of ganja is very small;
one pice a day is quite sufficient in the ordinary
cases.
(b) As to the classes of people, who are habi-
tual excessive consumers, some have been known
to consume no less a quantity than half a chittack
of ganja per diem. This would fix the average
daily cost at 8 to 10 annas per head.
29. (a) Ordinarily they mix dried leaves of
tobacco with ganja, with no other object but to
reduce the strength of the drug. But sometimes
they take without mixing it with any other ingre-
dients.
Bhang is generally mixed with milk, sugar and
water, and made into a sherbet. But occasionally
sweetmeats are prepared with it by mixing with
sugar, milk, cocoanut and some spices, with the
object of making the thing palatable.
Dhatura is not in common use in this part of
the province. It is very rarely used for smoking
by persons suffering from asthma, phthisis, and
other pulmonary affections with wonderful medi-
cinal effect.
But when so taken it is never
mixed with any other ingredient. No such pre-
paration as bhang massala is sold in any part of
this district.
30. As a rule the consumption of both ganja and
bhang is practised in solitude. The use of both
these drugs is mainly confined to the male sex,
but not to any particular time of life. It is not
usual for children to consume any of these drugs.
31. The habit of consuming ganja and bhang is
acquired almost as easily as in the case of intoxi-
cating liquors. When once the habit is formed,
it is difficult, nay impossible, to break it off as
experience shows. Neither of these drugs has
any tendency, so far as is known, to drive the con-
sumers into excess.
32. The religious ceremony of the Sarasvati
Puja, occurring annually in the month of Janu-
ary, and the festivals of Trinath, already alluded
to, have something to do with the consumption
of these drugs. The Sarasvati Puja is a well
known Hindu festival celebrated throughout the
province of Bengal. It is the goddess of learning
that is worshipped on such occasions, and the vota-
ries at least in some parts of East Bengal consider
it to be a religious duty to take bhang in some
shape or other in this occasion in moderate quan-
tity.
The worship of Trinath is of very recent origin;
but nevertheless the custom has spread itself very
widely into the country. The festival has no
particular time fixed for it. It may be celebrated
at any day and any hour of the nights at the
option of the devotees. Trinath is said to be but
another name of Mahadeva, one of the gods of the
Hindu Trio. He is said to be the presiding deity
of all sorts of narcotics from his supposed liking,
according to Hindu legends, for bhang, dhatura
3 R 2