266
native hakim brought me one case of asthma and
this case also had a weakened heart. I believe
the man is dead since. I had only the history of
the case from the native hakim. I had not the
case under observation. I do not know how much
the man consumed. But I believe he was a large
consumer. I examined the man and found he
had asthma; but I am not prepared to assert of
my own knowledge that this was due to ganja.
That was merely the history I got. If I had not
been told that it was the result of ganja, I should
never have known anything about it.
There was another case. I do not remember who
brought it. The circumstances were much the
same. In this case also I was guided by the
history. The general statement, as contained in
my written answer, is a statement made to me
by this hakim and others to whom I applied for
information.
My own experience in no way
corroborates it.
As to insanity, I would refer to my answer
No. 45, which shows that my view is based on my
asylum experience. I have no experience apart
from that. I have never been consulted in any
case in which I have been told that the man was
suffering from the effects of ganja, either insanity
or other illness. My general impression is that
ganja is an exciting cause of insanity, as alcohol
is. Probably in most cases there is a weak brain,
which the ganja acted on, or a tendency to in-
sanity. I cannot say that it may hot also origi-
nate the disease. In fact, when taken in excess,
I believe it does. I can do no more than state
these general impressions. I may add that my
general impression in regard to ganja is that,
considering the numbers that use it, the injury
it does is infinitesimal, and that, with good food,
ganja in slight quantities never does harm. As
to bhang, large numbers of people take it without
injury hereabouts.
103. Evidence of SURGEON-LIEUTENANT-COLONEL J. F. P. MCCONNELL, Professor
of Materia Medica, etc., Medical College, Calcutta.
1. No special opportunities, only such as have
arisen in connection with my duties as a Medical
Officer serving in Lower Bengal for over twenty-
two years.
2. Siddhi.—I have always understood this term
to indicate an intoxicating beverage prepared from
the leaves of the hemp plant.
Charas.—Yes.
Ganja.—Yes.
I know nothing about these varieties of ganja
(flat, round, chur).
19, 23 and 28. I do not know.
29. I have heard that dhatura is sometimes
mixed with both siddhi (the drink), and majun,
the sweetmeat manufactured from hemp leaves.
No, I do not know bhang massala.
30, 31, 32, 36, 37, 39, 40 and 41. Not known.
42. Except as a medicine, I consider their use,
even in moderate doses, to be harmful.
44. (c) Yes.
(e) Yes.
(f) It varies according to the dose and in-
dividual—from one hour to four or five hours.
(g) Headache, thirst, listlessness.
(h) Yes.
45. (a), (b), (c), (e) Not known.
(d) No.
(f) Not known. There are no typical symp-
toms in moderate doses.
46. The habitual excessive use I know nothing
of; the occasional excessive use may be the exciting
cause of temporary insanity (mania). I have seen
a few undoubted cases.
47 and 48. I do not know.
49. Yes, I have heard so. I do not know if this
use is more injurious than the ordinary use.
I
have heard it does tend to produce impotence.
56 and 57. Not known.
Oral Evidence.
I have been over twenty-three years in India,
almost entirely in Calcutta in connection with the
Medical College Hospital. I have been Resident
Physician and Professor of Pathology, and am
Professor of Materia Medica at present and Second
Physician to the Hospital. I was Pathologist to
the Hospital for ten years, and have paid special
attention to Pathology. I do not know of any
literature regarding the pathological effects of
hemp drugs. I do not think that there is anything
known of the pathological appearances produced
in the brain by hemp drugs. I have no special
experience in insanity, and have not in my prac-
tice had opportunities of examining the brains of
insane people; for I have never been in charge of
an asylum.
I never examined any brains of ganja-smokers
at the College while Professor of Pathology. That
is, I have never, as far as my recollection serves
me, examined the body of any man who died of
any disease in hospital and of whom it was brought
to my notice at the time that he had been a ganja-
smoker. I am the author of a catalogue of patho-
logical preparations in the museum of the Medi-
cal College, Calcutta. There is no mention of any
ganja-smoker's brain.
I am familiar with the physiological action of
the hemp drugs. From its known physiological
action, I should expect to find no effect on the
brain of a person using the drug in moderation.
It is impossible to say whether any effects would
follow the continued use of the drug in excess.
I have no personal experience. But speaking
from the analogy of certain drugs which have
similar physiological effects, when used excessively,
I would expect to find a condition of what is
termed hyperæmia of the brain and membranes.
The other drugs I refer to are drugs like dhatura,
belladonna, hyoscyamus, etc. Such a condition of
hyperæmia could not, I think, last a very long
time—I cannot positively say how long, without
giving rise to structural changes. I think that.
probably there would be changes in the nerve cells
and fibres of the brain and alterations in the way
of thickening, opacity, and so on, in the mem-
branes. Those conditions would be permanent.
This would be from long-continued hyperæmia.
Hyperæmia with intervals of rest might also
give rise to structural changes I think. These
pathological changes would not, I think, be coarse
changes that you could detect from naked eye
inspection of the brain. They would have to be