143
29. With ganja.—Hingli or dry tobacco leaves.
Well-to-do consumers mix rose water or otto of
roses to impart fragrance. The object is to re¬
duce the strength of the drug and make it more
palatable.
With bhang—(1) cucumber seed, (2) aniseed,
(3) pepper, (4) endive. In other cases, sugar,
milk and rose-water to make the preparation cool
and palatable. Chimney smoke (jhul) is some¬
times mixed with bhang to strengthen the in¬
toxicating properties.
30. Ganja and bhang consumed generally in
company. Females of Sadhu class consume, but
rarely other females; except for medicinal pur¬
poses. Children don't use it.
31. Ganja.—Habit formed in a year or two.
It is not difficult to break off. However, for ex¬
cessive habitual consumers it is difficult. In-
stances where it has been broken off are found
everywhere. There is tendency to develop into
excessive, but this does not generally take place
for pecuniary circumstances of the consumer.
The tendency therefore may be considered as mo¬
derate.
Bhang.—The same remarks apply, but to a less
degree.
32. There is no religious or social custom en¬
joining the consumption of bhang or ganja. Ra¬
ther physical or moral reasons mixed up with pre¬
judice may be ascribed. Ganja is used as an
offering at the altar of Siva by common people.
Bhang is consumed generally at the Dassehra as
an emblem of rejoicing.
33. Consumption of ganja is regarded as un¬
usual. Bhang is considered rather efficacious
than harmful. As febrifuge both are regarded
ellieaeiouH. By religious mendicants ganja is re¬
garded as essential for religious meditation and
concentration of physical and mental energies.
Bhang is popularly believed to impart strength
to strong and active men, best for sexual enjoy¬
ments, and religious meditation to devotees.
Ganja is held in disrepute by the people; the
sentiment may be ascribed to the injurious results
it imparts on the constitution.
No custom of worshipping hemp plants pre¬
vails here.
34. Ganja.—It will be a serious privation to
the sanyasis, sadhus and fakirs to forego ganja.
This will not only entail serious physical priva¬
tions (because ganja is considered as a preventive
of damp, exposure and fatigue), but will be con-
sidered as an interference with their religious
meditations. The number of this class is about
five hundred in this district.
Bhang.—No serious privation is apprehended,
but will be looked with dissatisfaction by the
consumers, who consider this as an effective febri¬
fuge and mild and cooling intoxicant.
35. (a) I don't consider it feasible to prohibit
the use of any of these drugs.
Ganja.—For checking consumption the duty
may be raised, and this will reduce the number of
consumers gradually, but even this will not be
regarded with satisfaction by sadhus who live on
the charity of other people.
(b) It is possible, but not probable in this
district.
(c) and (d). Prohibition would cause serious dis-
content amongst religious mendicants, but can be
easily enforced by stopping importation altogether
by legal and executive measures.
(e) Not in this district.
(f) No, except the lower classes who have
been found to change one intoxicant for another.
Bhang.—It is not feasible to prohibit as it is
harmless and not used excessively.
36. Cases are found where for the high prices
of ganja a few persons have abandoned it and
taken to liquor. I have found specific instances
of this in some localities.
37. Charas is never smoked apart from admix¬
ture of tobacco (vide question 15). The initiatory
process reduces the keenness of the drug, hence
the intoxication is milder than ganja. It takes
effect after a minute or two have elapsed (from
the time of drinking). The eyelids are affected
first. Light becomes unbearable. The saliva dries
up. The patient becomes sensitive and looks
at everything with satisfaction. Capacity of hear-
ing increases, and music produces a very soothing
effect. Excessive smoking produces stupefaction
of energies. In ganja the patient is affected
immediately. The symptoms are the same as
charas, but they are keener. When the intoxica¬
tion overpowers the man, he thinks himself in
danger and led away in clouds. Breathing be¬
comes hard; it is remarkable that consciousness
is never lost. I might say it rouses the subcon-
scious part of a man's nature. There are lucid
moments when the patient strains hard to recover
his energies, but he fails. Coma is produced at
the extreme stage. My conviction is that it rouses
the hidden part of a man's nature. A jolly man
becomes jolly and musical, a religious man be¬
comes meditative, an athletic will think of his
strength, and a criminal thinks of his own look-out,
and a quarrelsome man becomes peevish and is
ready to fight.
38. Bhang produces an intoxication milder
than charas if consumed in a small quantity. It
acts differently on different constitutions. In some
it produces a garrulous tendency, others take to
laughing and hilarity. In exceptional cases it
brings on deep slumber. I cannot find any dis¬
tinguishing features in the respective effects of
the three drugs which is worthy of note. The
difference is one of degree and not in kind. The
state of the mind is passive, whereas in alcohol it
is active. In the former case the imagination is
creative, in the latter constructive.
39. No difference is found in bhang. Eating
ganja is more injurious than smoking. Evidence
of a sanyasi was taken by me. He cannot state
the reasons.
40. Ganja is prescribed in the following dis¬
cases:—(1) Rheumatism. (2) Female organic
diseases. (3) To prevent damp and malarious
fevers.
Bhang.—(1) In diarrhœa. (2) In cattle disease.
Bhang mixed with gur is given to horses and
animals to allay fatigue and effects of over-
strengthening of nerves.
41. (a) Moderate. Charas, ganja, and bhang.
—They are thought so, and I think it is true to
some extent.
(b) Ganja.—Yes. Unanimous opinion of la-
bouring classes on the subject.
(c) Ganja.—There is no general opinion,
but North Gangetic people living in damp and
malarious tracts think so. The people of Purnea
around the Kosi banks use ganja largely for this
purpose. I got fever once in the interior. On
the next occasion on taking ganja I did not get