99
28. Three pice worth of ganja and half pice
worth of siddhi is sufficient for a habitual mode-
rate consumer of the drugs. A chillum of ganja
cannot be smoked till it is entirely done with. It
must be smoked with intervals of a minute or two.
When there is no company it must be allowed to
be consumed by the fire during the necessary in
terval. Where there is company it is smoked in-
turn by all present, and so full use of the chillum
is made. Ganja-smoking people generally as-
semble in numbers of two, three or four people
and smoke together. Retail ganja is sold at six
annas a tola. Three pice ganja generally admits
of three chillums being made out of the same.
When ganja is smoked in company two pice of
ganja may be sufficient for a moderate consumer
per diem.
29. (a) See answer to question 15.
I do not know of any case of dhatura being
mixed with ganja or siddhi. Dhatura generally
brings on insanity. I do not know what a bhang
massala is.
30. All the three drugs are generally taken in
company.
Females very seldom use them;
children do not use them. These drugs are used
after the sixteenth or seventeenth year.
31. Those who mix in low company easily form
the habit of smoking ganja. Lazy and rich
people as well as young folks are apt to run to
excess in ganja and charas smoking. Hardly
people go into excess in siddhi-drinking. I do
not think that ganja-smoking can easily be
given up.
32. On Bijaya Dasami a little siddhi mixed with
water is taken by Hindu male adult people,—
generally a handful is taken. This creates neither
any intoxication nor any tendency to take it
after the occasion is over.
33. Ganja-smokers are looked down upon.
They are generally believed to be intemperate in
their language and are credited with little intel-
lect. There is no religious prohibition to the use
of these drugs. The sanyasis offer the chillum of
ganja after it is ready to god Siva or Mahadeb.
34. The privation from charas-smoking likely
creates no injury. Habitual ganja-smoker is apt
to get dysentery when he is suddenly compelled
to give up smoking it. Nothing serious likely
happens in giving up siddhi-drinking, though
the general health of the drinker may suffer from
total abstinence from it.
35. (a) No.
(b) Yes.
(c) By raising the duty.
(d) Yes.
(e) No.
(f) Not likely in all cases.
36. Generally not yet.
37. Charas is much milder than ganja.
38. Round ganja containing in full all the
flower with its resinous matter gives more intoxi¬
cation than flat or chur ganja.
41. (a) Bhang is believed to be digestive.
(b) and (c) Ganja.
Moderate habitual use.
42. Bhang and charas may be harmless, but
ganja not so. Ganja-smokers generally fall a prey
to dysentery and bronchial complaints.
43. Generally so, except in rare cases.
44. (a) Refreshment.
(b) Yes.
(c) Nominal.
(d) Partially.
(g) Ganja-smokers generally die from dysen¬
tery and bronchial complaints.
(h) Yes; a great longing and uneasiness in the
case of ganja-smokers, who become moody and
unwell for want of the drug.
45. (a) There is physical improvement. The
use of ganja and charas also causes mental and
moral debasement.
(b) No.
(c) No.
(d) Yes, saving in the case of siddhi and also
charas.
(e) Yes,
ditto
siddhi only.
(f) Yes,
ditto
ditto.
At first the insanity is of a temporary nature.
It gradually takes a permanent hold when ganja-
smoking is continued after plain manifestations
of insanity. Yes, the symptoms may be reinduced
by use of the drug after liberation from restraint.
In lucid moments insanes confess to the use of
the drug.
(g) I cannot say.
When a boy I saw an old Brahman get almost
stark insane. He was carefully tended by his
wife and prevented from use of the drug—ganja.
He got well and gave up ganja-smoking.
About the year 1889, when Subdivisional
Officer of Diamond Harbour, a Muhammadan
having taken excess of ganja became insane. He
appropriated the uniform of the police-officer of
Geonkhally and came to Diamond Harbour by
steamer without a ticket. He was prosecuted.
It appeared that ganja-smoking brought on fits
of temporary insanity. He was sent to the lunatic
asylum and came back all right. He was a strong
man of middle age.
47. No.
51. Ganja-smoking hardens the sensibilities of
the smoker.
54. Yes, I have heard of this.
58. The duty on ganja is being gradually in¬
creased. It has already become hard for the poor
labouring classes who take it as an alleviation
against hard work, and a protective against ex-
posure, to meet their wants, The duty should
not be raised higher than what it is now.
62. No.
66. Yes, according to intoxicating power, or
rather on the quantity of the actual flowers exist¬
ing in several sorts of the ganjas.
67. In marshy, jungly, terai and pestilential
places the taxation ought to be smaller than in
towns and healthy places.
69. I cannot say whether the wishes of the
people are considered, but they ought to be.
Q 2