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220. Evidence of BABU ANANGO MOHAN NAHA, Kayasth, Judge's Court Pleader,
Comilla, Tippera District.
19. I have known ganja only used for smoking.
20. In my district ganja is generally used by
the lower classes of people, and that in places
where there are bazars with a neighbourhood of
low class men. Occasionally I have seen big
zamindars addicted to ganja-smoking, but the
middle class people are free from this habit.
24. In Comilla the up-contry Deswallis eat a
small quantity of bhang.
25. The use of ganja is on the increase. For-
merly in any place where there was no ganja-
smoker we have now more than twenty or many
more.
27. Not the cultivators, but the low labouring
classes of the people.
30. Ganja is used or smoked in company and
not in solitude. Ganja is used by male persons
after they become majors.
31. The habit of ganja-smoking is easily
formed. It is difficult to break off the habit when
once formed. The ganja-smokers generally get
into excessive habit of ganja-smoking.
32. In our district there is a quasi-social or
religious ceremony called Trinath mela held by low
class people, who smoke ganja very much on the
occasion and sing all sorts of songs. The use of
ganja is essential on this occasion, and this has led
to the spread of the bad habit of ganja-smoking in
this district.
33. Ganja or bhang consumers are generally
hated by the respectable people, because their use
is connected with something low or detestable.
34. It would be serious privation, no doubt, to
many smokers.
35. It would not be feasible to prohibit the use
of any of these drugs. The prohibition may lead
to the habit of drinking alcoholic stimulants.
40. Native physicians prescribe bhang or some
preparation of it in acute disorders of the stomach
of men. I have known of cases of this nature
where bhang did excellent work in curing loose-
ness of stomach.
41. Yes, the moderate use of these two drugs
gives staying-power under severe exertion or expo-
sure and also alleviates fatigue. In cholera epi-
demics I have seen lower classes of people use
bhang as a preventive and also as medicine with
success. Small number of low class people use
bhang in epidemic cholera. I mean the occasional
use of the bhang drug.
42. The moderate use of these drugs is harmless.
I have given my reasons in answer 41.
43. Yes, they are inoffensive.
44. Keeps him in the normal state of body and
mind. The use is refreshing to the habitual con-
sumers. It creates appetite. Its effects last
nearly 21/2 hours. The want of the use of these
drugs by the habitual consumers puts them to
great uneasiness.
45. I have known of very strong men as well as
men of weak intellect getting insane on account of
the excessive use of ganja. Sometimes temporary
insanity is produced. In East Bengal many of
the insane persons become so on account of the
use of too much ganja, which affects the brain
injuriously.
47. In most cases I have seen the sons of the
fathers addicted to ganja-smoking also smoke
ganja.
51. Yes; almost all the bad characters in any
locality are habitual consumers of these drugs.
Ganja-smokers are generally thieves.
62. The cultivation of the hemp plant for the
production of bhang should be, in no way, con-
trolled.
68. There are shops or houses in the district
where these drugs or their preparations may be
consumed on the premises. This is objectionable
for this reason that it tends to make the consu-
mers more depraved than ever and that the shop-
keepers make best of their position at the expense
of these consumers.
69. No, never. Only the report of an excise
officer is required to put up a shop in any new
place. Sometimes these shops are very objection-
able in some places. Public opinion or gentle-
men of position and respectability should be asked
before opening a new shop.
221. Evidence of BABU KAILAS CHANDRA DUTTA, Baidya, Vakil, Judge's Court,
Comilla, Tippera District.
1. As a resident of Tippera District, I had occa-
sion to see people smoke ganja, and hear from
others. My knowledge of this subject is very
limited.
2. In Tippera it is ordinarily known as ganja.
To my knowledge, charas is not used here.
3. Rajshahi.
4. Here it is known only as ganja.
5. Don't know.
6. Don't know.
7 To my knowledge, there is no cultivation of
ganja in this district. Bhang plants are here and
there to be found. But as a rule they are not
cultivated here.
14. No,—not to my knowledge. Bhang leaves
are pounded and occasionally taken as a draught
mixed with water. Some people habitually use
bhang preparation, but others use it as medicine
in diarrhœa and bowel complaints.
16. Yes, bhang is prepared by the people in
their houses, but not generally.
17. Up-country people here make bhang prepar-
ations, as well as some people of the lower and
middle classes.
19. Ganja is used here for smoking and occa-
sionally for medicinal purposes.
20. A very small proportion of the people smoke
ganja in this district. It is generally confined to
the lower orders of the labouring class and
sanyasis. Boatmen, fishermen, singers, nama-
sudras, gipsies, and others use it.
It is not
specially confined to any particular locality.
3 R