307
though it came from the same field, and was of the
same quality, lay for a few days of the dry
weather untinned up during the time of its transit
from Naogoan to Calcutta, where it was tinned
up. The rapidity with which ganja takes up
moisture in damp weather, and parts with it in a
dry atmosphere, has been shown in my report on
ganja; and the difference in this respect, produced
by a few days' exposure to dry air, has been great
enough to make the quite fresh sample completely
valueless, and only to slightly alter the character
and appearance of that which had an opportunity
of parting with some of its moisture. This leads,
therefore, to a re-consideration of the question of
time of tinning, or of preparation beforehand of
the ganja before tinning it. As already stated
in my report, it seemed to be essential for the suc-
cess of any plan of storage that no preliminary pre-
paration should be required. For, besides the
labour involved in rendering the substance abso-
lutely moisture-free before placing it in tins, it is
not impossible that the mere process of drying it
might alter its quality and power. It certainly
would decrease its commercial value, since one of
the essentials in a sample of ganja from a dealer's
point of view, is that it shall be sufficiently
"sticky" to make into a paste in the hand before
being used; ganja that is perfectly dry loses this
stickiness.
It is a common belief with ganja dealers that,
as at present stored, the substance improves in
quality during the first six months; it becomes,
they think, less powerful when smoked, and im-
proves, they think, in smell and flavour; after six
months it deteriorates, still losing power till all is
gone, and steadily diminishing in quality inde-
pendent of its strength. Not improbably this
opinion, which is founded on commercial experience,
is sound; also from the physical and chemical point
of view, though till the Chemical Examiner's re-
ports are received, it will not be possible to say if
it be absolutely correct. But correct or not, it is,
simply because it is the commercial opinion, en-
titled to attention if not to respect, and it there-
fore becomes a question whether it would not be
well to allow the drug to mature, so to speak, by
becoming six months old before converting it into
chur, making it into cakes and tinning it up. But
this would defeat one of the main objects which the
Board has in view—the reduction in bulk of the
substance to be stored: for if the drug has to be
kept six months before it can be dealt with, stor-
age must be provided for the whole crop in the
state in which it appears when made under present
conditions; and if this accommodation has to be
provided, to begin with, the necessity for extra
expense and trouble of reducing it in bulk seems
less obvious. The question to be decided then is
this: would it be less expensive to reduce
the bulk, and consequently the cost of tin, etc.,
required for sealing up the samples, or less expen-
sive to supply the larger quantity of tin required
for sealing up the drug in its present unreduced
state? And in the event of the former proving to
be the less expensive course, would the saving
effected repay the interference with commercial
prejudices involved in placing on the ganja market
an unfamiliar form of the drug?
5. The conclusion to which I am very reluctant-
ly compelled to come is that the proposal to tin
up samples of ganja, when newly manufactured,
which commends itself at once ffom its simplicity,
and from which I had hoped so much, must be
definitely abandoned. At the same time I think
that if the whole management of the ganja crop
should pass into the hands of the Board, it would
be advisable to convert the whole of both the
round and the flat ganja manufactured into chur,
and to compress this chur into cakes. This pro-
cess does not affect, at any rate appreciably, the
quality of the article, and as Naogaon ganja is
the favourite kind with ganja consumers, it is
obvious that if they can only get it in cakes,
they will readily enough take it in that form.
But it would be, in my opinion, not advisable,
from what I have been able to ascertain as to the
feelings of the dealers in, and consumers of, ganja,
to attempt to place ganja cakes on the market
alongside of the more familiar forms of the sub-
stance at present manufactured and sold. Finally,
if the Board does take the whole management into
its hands, and if it does convert the whole crop
into these cakes, it might be advisable to consider
the question of tinning mature ganja when at its
best, so as to prevent the deterioration which
ultimately takes place in the article; but it would
be necessary, before proposing to adopt such a
course, to have complete chemical reports, not
merely on the samples which the Board has
already submitted for report to the Chemical
Examiner, but on those which have not been sub-
mitted to that officer. For example, the cakes in
question, though they are noted in my former
letters and on the boxes in which they are stored
as requiring to be submitted for chemical examin-
ation after March 1894, are still in the golas.
114. Evidence of DR. S. J MANOOK, Civil Medical Officer, Singhbhum.
1. All my remarks refer to the Singhbhum
district.
2. These are the definitions used in this district.
The plant is not known to the Kols (aborigines)
and they have no name for it.
3. Does not grow in Singhbhum spontaneously.
Singhbhum is particularly exempt from the hemp
plant, and if it do exist anywhere, its presence is
only that of an exotic clandestinely grown.
7. No.
12. I have no personal knowledge, but from en-
quiries hemp is cultivated in Keonjhar and Morh-
bhunj for bhang and ganja.
13. Nowhere cultivated, in this province.
18. Ganja and bhang deteriorate by keeping; a
mustiness or mouldiness is acquired owing to damp -
ness. May be prevented from deterioration for a
long period by being kept in shelves or almirahs
in a well-ventilated dry room.
19. Charas is not used in this district. General-
ly ganja is used for smoking.
20. Charas smokers are not known here. Those
addicted to the narcotic use either ganja or bhang.
21. Round ganja (Government supply) is the
only kind procurable in the district.
22. Charas is not used in this district.
23. Bhang is used for smoking, mixed with
tobacco by the poorer classes.
26. The few consumers that I have come across
have been, habitual moderate consumers of ganja
or bhang or both.
2 T 2