459
been formed. Taking the adult male population
to be two crores in Bengal, I should say the num-
ber of consumers will be somewhere about ten
lakhs.
35. In case of prohibition it will be very
difficult, I believe, to prevent illicit consumption,
which will in all likelihood follow in not a few
instances. Prohibition will produce great dis-
satisfaction among the consumers, but it will not
be "serious." Such dissatisfaction or discontent
will certainly not amount to a political danger.
I believe the prohibition in many cases will be
followed by recourse to alcoholic stimulants.
36. There is reason to think so. Alcohol is
being substituted more or less for other drugs.
The cause for this change is principally imitation
of European habits. Alcohol is fashionable and
is considered a civilized intoxicant.
39. I say of ganja: smoking certainly is less
injurious, especially huka smoking. The reason
obviously is that some injurious principles are
burnt away and eliminated. In eating, the
whole drug is swallowed.
40. Yes, bhang is given by the kabiraj in diar-
rhœa, dysentery and other bowel complaints;
ganja in cholera cases sometimes, and also in
asthma and bronchitis. I don't know that any
of them are given in cattle disease. I have
omitted charas from consideration.
41. I omit charas from consideration.
(a) They are; as a food accessory but not as
a digestive; and they are so, only in the first
stages of consumption before one forms the habit.
After that they impair digestion.
(b) They are beneficial in the way stated in the
question; but only for the time being.
(c) I do not know, and I have never heard of
that before; though I fully expect I should have
heard so from people, if that were a fact. As
regards (b), the cooks, domestic servants, and
palki-bearers or load-carriers, handicraftsmen, are
the people I have in mind.
I have had in view only the case of moderate
occasional consumers.
42. Of course, it is too much to say harmless
of any intoxicating drug; but I certainly think
that ganja or bhang consumption, if moderate,
does not produce any appreciable harm from any
point of view here relevant. Because moderate
consumers, as I have said, do not generally deve-
lop into excessive consumers, nor do they neglect
their own legitimate work; nor in the vast majo-
rity of cases do they do much harm to their own
body.
43. I should say they are inoffensive to their
neighbours in most cases. They get an irritable
temper as they advance in the habit; but they
are seldom found to molest or annoy their neigh-
bours, or commit any violent crimes in regard to
them.
44. I omit charas from consideration. Yes, the
immediate effect is to some extent refreshing. It
does not produce much intoxication on habitual
consumers. It seems to allay hunger and appears
to create appetite. But I don't believe these
apparent feelings are real. I think they are more
imaginary. Bhang intoxication lasts even for 24
hours and has bad after-effects. It dries the body
and constipates the bowels. Yes, the want stated
does produce longing and uneasiness.
45. I omit charas from consideration. Habi-
tual moderate use does not produce any moral
noxious effect, so far as I am aware. But as re-
gards mental and physical, it does produce such
effect in the long run. It dries the constitution,
injures digestion in many cases in the long run.
After very many years of habit, the moderate
consumers at the end get dysentery, bronchitis or
asthma. I do not find that it impairs the moral
sense, induces laziness, or habits of immorality or
debauchery.
It is believed (in the case of ganja) to produce
insanity in the long run, even if the use is not
excessive. It produces temporary insanity; at
any rate, the common belief, so far as I am aware,
is so; but cases of permanent insanity have been
reported to me. They are very few.
47. It does not appear to be a hereditary habit,
or to affect the children of the moderate consumer.
51. I don't believe that it has any connection
with crime in general or with any special crime.
Only it now and then leads to cases of assault and
hurt. There was only one case of murder to my
information. It was in Nator Thana jurisdiction
in the district of Rajshahi. The assault or hurt
cases are extremely small.
55. I have heard now and then that such
stupefaction is induced, but very likely the drug
must have been mixed with some more powerful
intoxicant, such as dhatura, etc.
62. So far as bhang is concerned, I don't think
so.
68. Such shops, if any, should not be tolerated
for one moment.
69. Yes, local public opinion should be con-
sidered.
I must close by saying that I am neither ganja,
bhang nor charas consumer, nor do I believe that
I have any reason to be biassed in my opinion.
But I am certainly of opinion that if it were a
question of votes, I should vote against ganja or
bhang suppression. But as to charas, I think it
will be very much better if that is suppressed.
216. Evidence of BABU JADUNATH KANJILAL, Brahmin, Pleader, Judge's Court,
Hughli.
1. Special enquiry and general information on
the subject are sources of my knowledge.
2. Properly speaking, only three narcotic articles
are obtained from hemp, to wit, siddhi or bhang,
charas and ganja. But they are not the only
articles used. Oil is extracted from hemp seeds,
and is used as other oil. Boiled hemp seeds are
also eaten by the poor. Siddhi or bhang is also
used in the shape of majun. In this case the
resinous matter is extracted from siddhi and is used
with sugar and milk. I would therefore classify
the use of hemp in this way: (1) ganja, (2)
charas, (3) siddhi or bhang, (4) majum, (5) hemp
seed, (6) hemp seed oil. The first four have
intoxicating effect. It is doubtful whether the
last two have any such effect.
3. I saw bhang plants growing in several places
of Khulna. My belief is that they can be seen
3 P 2