88
them from contact with the earth, and the process
of alternate burying and exposure goes on for two
and three months.
Question 21.—I do not remember to have heard
about the heating quality of the Gurjat ganja.
The information on which my answer is based was
given to me by consumers and vendors.
Question 25.—My opinion as to the increase of
ganja consumption is formed on information given
to me by natives with whom I am constantly
conversing on all subjects. My knowledge relates
specially to Khurda, which is a sub-division of the
Puri District.
Question 35.—Dhatura is a drug which might be
used in place of ganja. I do not remember any
other drug, but alcohol might of course to some
extent take the place of hemp. I have no experi¬
ence of dhatura being smoked, except medicinally,
but I know it is used by Vaishnavite ascetics to
increase the intoxicating effect of bhang. Shaiv-
ite ascetics have the same habit.
Question 46.—I have in some cases seen people
emaciated and anæmic, and their friends attributed
their condition to the habit of excessive smoking
of ganja. I have also seen people insane, whose
insanity was attributed to the excessive use of
bhang or ganja. I made no special enquiry into
any of these cases. I merely accepted the state¬
ments made to me.
Questions 53 and 54.—My answer is based on
general report and some experience of my own.
Once when passing through a village in the
Sonthal Parganas with friends, a man attacked
us with a sword and cut off a piece of one of my
companion's boots. He was seized before he could
do more mischief. We learnt afterwards that the
man was drunk with bhang. That occurred dur¬
ing the Sonthal rebellion in 1856. The villagers
and the man himself said he was intoxicated with
bhang. I do not recall any other case within my
personal observation, but I have read of such cases
in the newspapers. I know also that the word
assassin is derived from hashish, which is said to
be prepared from charas.
Question 70.—I am persuaded of the prevalence
of smuggling of ganja by the facts that many
cases were brought to my notice, and that the
frontier of Orissa marches for hundreds of miles
with the Gurjat States and the Madras Presi¬
dency, where the drug is grown. Large quanti¬
ties used to be imported under the name of patti,
and I pointed out to the authorities that the stuff
was really ganja, but no notice was taken of my
representation. I have read what Mr. Metcalfe
said regarding the smuggling of Gurjat ganja in
his No. 204-E., dated 9th June 1887. I
thoroughly believe that the smuggling of ganja
is very extensive, much more so even than is stated
in this letter. The Commissioner would find it
useful to get returns of the quantity of Gurjat
ganja seized and destroyed, though the number
of cases detected is not one-twentieth of the whole.
The smuggling takes place from the Madras Pre¬
sidency as well as the Gurjat States, about equally
from both sources, in proportion to the length of
boundary. I include the ganja from Madras in
all I have said about Gurjat ganja. I fancy there
is much more ganja produced in the Gurjat states
than they have use for. I have seen small patches
as big as a quarter bigha of homestead cultivation
myself. I believe the cultivation is unrestricted
in Gumsar over the border in the Madras Presi¬
dency, though I have never seen it there myself.
The whole frontier against the Gurjats and
Madras, except a very small opening on the
latter border, is forest. I saw the patches of
cultivation between 1876 and 1880. I could not
have mistaken anything else for the hemp plant.
37. Evidence of CHUNDER NARAIN SINGH, Kayasth, Deputy Collector, at present
employed as Personal Assistant to the Commissioner of the Bhagalpur Division.
1. I was for many years employed as Excise
Deputy Collector at Bhagalpur and elsewhere.
2. I think these definitions are fairly accurate,
and may be accepted. I do not, however, speak
from actual experience of the process of preparation,
having never served or been in a producing
district. My knowledge is derived from books,
as well as from constant experience of the im¬
ported ganja when in charge of the Excise De¬
partment.
3. My knowledge does not extend to the culti¬
vation of the hemp plant, I therefore leave this
chapter blank.
14. My knowledge does not extend to the
preparation or manufacture of the drugs, I there¬
fore leave this chapter blank.
19. So far as I am aware, ganja and charas are
almost exclusively used for smoking.
I say
"almost," because I have occasionally seen ganja
used externally mixed with oil for the cure of skin
diseases, such as itches.
20. I am not familiar with the use of charas.
Its use was almost known in the districts to which
my experience extended when I was in charge of the
Excise Department. But from my general ex¬
perience, I am inclined to think charas is looked
upon as a more refined smoke, which is indulged
in by the well-to-do people, who look down upon
ganja as the smoke of the lower order. Ganja is
smoked principally by the lower classes and by a
limited section of the middle class, whose religious
prejudice is a bar to their indulging in alcohol.
It is also freely smoked by religious mendicants
and fakirs in almost every part of Bengal.
21. I should think chur was most liked.
24. Bhang is generally drunk, seldom eaten
except as an ingredient in medicine. It is drunk
freely by up-country men and also by pilgrims
who resort to Baidyanath. A good deal of bhang
used to be sold by a licensed shopkeeper at Sultan-
ganj when I was Excise Deputy Collector of
Bhagalpur, in which district that place is situated.
The reason was that pilgrims to Baidyanath used
to store their supply of Ganges water at that place
previous to starting on pilgrimage, and, when
there, used to get themselves supplied with bhang.
Its use is almost confined to Hindus. I do not
remember to have ever seen its use by Muham-
madans. When I visited Muttra and Brindaban,
I found it very freely used there by all classes,
especially the priests or pandas.
30. Ganja is often smoked in company. Bhang
is generally drunk in solitude. I cannot say
about charas, the smoking of which I have not
much witnessed, Ganja smoking, like bhang