308
29. Ordinarily tobacco with bhang or ganja.
Dhatura is said to be used to increase the narcotic
effects of bhang or ganja, but I have no personal
knowledge.
30. I have never seen a female or a child as a
consumer of ganja or bhang.
34. No privation whatever to ganja and bhang
consumers. Those persons whom I have question-
ed seem to use the drugs for no special reason. I
suppose it is a habit acquired by seeing some
friend or acquaintance use them or for some ail-
ment, real or imaginary.
42. Three persons, ganja and bhang consumers,
lately examined with the following results:—
No. 1 has been consumer for 15 or 16 years. Uses
Mohrbhunj ganja or bhang as it is cheaper than
Government ganja, but is much weaker than the
latter. Smokes twice daily morning and evening.
Is in good health. Has had no bad effect. The
use causes excitement or intoxication followed
by drowsiness and lassitude. Effect lasts 2 or 3
hours. Discontinuation causes eyes and nose to
water and has pains all over the body.
No. 2 uses Keonjhar ganja as it is cheaper,
but is much weaker than Government ganja.
Habit of several years' standing. Smokes with
tobacco once a day in the morning. Good health.
No bad effects.
No 3 uses Keonjhar ganja as it is cheaper, but
not so strong as Government ganja. Habit 10
years. Smokes with tobacco 4 times a day. In
good health. No bad effect.
43. I believe so, so far as bhang is concerned.
44. See above.
47. No such hereditary habit has come under
my observation, and my inquiries from my Hospi-
tal Assistants are also negative.
70. Consumers of these drugs, travelling
through any of the neighbouring Native States
where ganja or bhang is obtainable, usually bring
away a supply for their own consumption, since
the drugs are so very much cheaper than that
legally obtainable. In a few instances the smug-
gled article is also intended for sale as well as for
the consumer's own use.
115. Evidence of DR. CHARLES BANKS, Civil Surgeon, Puri.
Oral evidence.
I have been in the service as a Civil Surgeon
two years, and in India three years. I do not
think that I have enough of experience of ganja
smokers to be able to give any information of
much value regarding the effects of the drug.
I have seen a good deal of smokers of late. But
that has been only in shops which I have visited,
and has therefore been only experience of the
habits of those who use the drug as a vice, not
those who use it for necessary or expedient stimu-
lant. I speak of them as vicious, because they
go to a shop to smoke, and because I was told
they were confirmed smokers who took the drug,
not morning and evening moderately, but conti-
nually. Among these people I have never seen
violence or brawling; but I have seen two cases
where there was a fantastic excitement which was
not very far removed from temporary insanity.
I should say the men did not seem compos mentis.
I have been told that they belonged to the town
and smoked ganja. I have not seen either of
them smoke. One of them told me himself he
was a smoker; and I believe in the information
I have about the other. There is a third man
who seems to be a religious mendicant and lies
on a tiger skin. I have seen him smoke. He
often shouts. I have never seen him violent.
But some say he is violent. He has the sympa-
thy of the passers-by. One of the two cases
already referred to came under my observation in
Jail, but he recovered or cooled down before I had
to certify on the case. At first he was excited and
his actions were peculiar. His speech was not.
He answered rationally. But he cooled down, and
I certified that he was sane. His actions were
merely throwing up his eyes, contorting his body,
and conducting himself like a fool. He could not
keep still. But there was no violence. I believe
he was a ganja smoker, because he was known to
be so and because he said so. He was charged
with theft. Apart from this case of temporary
excitement, I have never had a case of ganja
insanity.
I am unable to say anything about the habits of
the people generally in regard to the use of the
drug, although I have toured about in the district.
The ganja question has never obtruded itself on
me. It has only come to my notice in connection
with a vaccinator giving information about illicit
possession of ganja in Khorda. The sub-division-
al officer told me he was an informer; and I made
inquiry, and had to order him to desist from this
owing to the unpopularity which such action
would bring. It would damage the work. It
was told to me because the sub-divisional officer
thought it was very inexpedient, and I concurred.
116. Evidence of Assistant Surgeon RAI TARAPROSANNA RAI BAHADUR, Baidya,
Chemical Examiner to the Government of Bengal, Calcutta.
1. None, except the little from occasional exa-
mination of the drug in the Chemical Examiner's
Department.
2. Dr. Prain's definitions are correct, at least
as far as Lower Bengal is concerned. In Lower
Bengal the leaves are called siddhi, the resin
charas, and the dried flowering tops ganja.
18. Both ganja and siddhi are known to deteri-
orate in quality by keeping.
19. Ganja and charas are used only for smok-
ing.
20. A small proportion of the lower classes
smoke ganja and charas. Respectable people who
have contracted the habit smoke them in private,
but their number is very small.
21. Round varieties are preferred; chur is con-
sidered inferior in quality.
23. Bhang is never used for smoking.
24. Bhang-eating in the shape of majum is
chiefly confined to the inhabitants of the North-
Western Provinces.
Bhang-drinking is common
in the North-West, and is prevalent to some
extent also in Lower Bengal.
27. The consumption of these drugs is chiefly
confined to the lower classes of people.
28. (a) About one pice worth of ganja, weigh-