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gait, a cunning look, constant giggling and
rubbing of hands. The subject is at times violent,
and exhibits signs of excessive hunger or sexual
excitement. Insanity of this kind is generally of
a temporary nature, readily cured under proper
restraint and treatment, and said to be as readily
re-induced by resuming the use of the drug. Most
of these men confess to the use of the drug; some
deny. I know of no case of brain disease or
mental anxiety where persons took ganja for relief
and became insane; nor do I know, on the
contrary, of insanes taking to ganja, because of
deficient self-control and weakened intellect.
47. Heredity is never noticed in the causation
of hemp-consuming habit in the offspring,
although they may acquire such habit by evil
company at home and bad training. In some
cases of habitual moderate ganja-smokers the
children are seen to suffer in physique and mental
and moral powers.
48. As above, with greater force.
49. These drugs are often used by the dissi-
pated and low class prostitutes as an aphrodisiac.
Persons using these drugs for this purpose are
tempted to gradually go into excess. After each
excitement there is a corresponding depression
and a gradual decrease of mental and sexual
powers, a general deterioration of health. To
make good this depression and disability increased
doses are taken recourse to which again only
magnifies the evil consequences and eventually
results in impotence.
50. Excessive use of these drugs as an aphro-
disiac produces more injurious effects than its use
as an ordinary narcotic—first, because the sexual
indulgences are carried to an excess; secondly,
because other deleterious substances, such as
dhatura, etc., are often mixed with these drugs.
51. I should think that a comparatively large
proportion of bad characters are habitual moderate
consumers of ganja. Theft, gambling, and crimes
which require cunning, shrewdness, fearlessness
and premeditation are generally committed by this
class of ganja-smokers. To smoke in company is
one of the characteristics of ganja-smoking. If
there be criminal minds in the company, every one
of the members imbibe their criminal propensities,
and slight causes, such as want of money, sense of
insult, love of wicked amusement, fire them to
commit theft, gambling, assault, and like crimes.
52. The same as above with this difference,
that the subject becomes more cross-tempered and
ready to do acts of violence, according to the in-
dividual temperament of the consumer.
53. I know of no case in which consumers of
hemp drugs in excessive quantities were led to
commit unpremeditated crimes.
54. Yes, many do so. Thieves and riotous
people are often heard to smoke ganja before
starting.
55. Criminals rarely use ganja to stupefy their
victims. Bhang is said to have been sometimes
so used. Perhaps the smell of ganja is a great
bar. The unaccustomed may be completely
stupefied by a large draught of bhang or by one
hard pull of ganja. Those who are accustomed to
the drug cannot, however, be so stupefied unless
dhatura or some such drugs are mixed with ganja.
56. Tobacco is generally mixed with ganja and
charas, and bhang massala with bhang to modify
their effects. I have heard of dhatura being
mixed with bhang, majum or ganja, either for
personal use, or with a view to administer them
to others, but I do not know of nux-vomica, can-
tharides, opium or betel-nut being so used.
57. I have heard of ganja-eaters (though their
number is very small) who fast deteriorated in
health and who died of dysentery. I have no
personal knowledge of cases of charas eating or
drinking in solution.
Oral evidence.
I have the degree of L.M.S., Calcutta. I had to
lecture on Medical Jurisprudence in Dacca, and
had to notice duly in the course the subject of
insanity. I have had, however, no special ex-
perience of insanity.
Question 29.—I read this statement about
dhatura being mixed in bhang in Dr. O'Shaugh-
nessy's book. I also heard from some who use
majum of other consumers who, they said, also
took dhatura in it. I have never seen it myself.
I have never heard of the admixture of dhatura
with ganja. It is with bhang as used in majum,
that the shop-keepers make the admixture at the
request of customers.
Question 34.—By 50 per cent. I meant half the
adult males. But on reconsideration I think
that is too high. I should say 30 per cent. of
adult males. The estimate is a guess based on
observation. I think the estimate for Bengal (20
per cent.) may be accepted. It is a rough esti-
mate. My experience of Bengal is for Eastern
Bengal principally. I have also had experience
of Burdwan.
Question 35.—I had no other drug specially in
mind when I entered, "etc." at the end of this
answer. There are, however, other drugs to which
I have heard that people might go, but I had none
in my mind beyond dhatura and opium.
Question 39.—Apart from the theory stated in
my answer No. 39, I have seen cases in which
worse results seemed to be due to eating ganja
than I have seen from smoking. I mean eating
ganja in balls made up for the purpose. People
who are not content with the effect of smoking do
this. It is this excess that hurts. The ordinary
drinking of bhang was not under my consideration
in this question. That in moderation is much
more harmless than even the moderate smoking of
ganja.
Question 46.—In my comparison with delirium
tremens, I am discussing the acute form of in-
sanity. It is due not to an occasional bout (I
have never heard of such a case), but to continual
smoking. It resembles delirium tremens in the
sleeplessness for nights together, the seeing of
phantoms and running at them, the trembling and
some such symptoms resembling delirium tremens.
The peculiar gait, cunning look, constant gig-
gling, and rubbing of hands mentioned in my
written answer are additional symptoms.
All
the above symptoms are of a temporary nature.
Sometimes they last for a time; sometimes they
rapidly recover. Sometimes they only last twenty
days or a month, or even sometimes for a less
period.
From one excessive indulgence there would be
violent intoxication, but I have no experience of
this. All the cases that I have known have been
of the habit, though in the case of some young
people these symptoms have been developed from
only a short period of the habit. They were cases
seen in the asylums, of which I was official visitor,
and also cases I have seen outside in private prac-
tice. Sometimes long lingering cases of insanity