290
49. I have been informed by certain shop-keepers
that ganja is sometimes used in moderate doses as
an aphrodisiac. Prostitutes use it sometimes,
but not as an aphrodisiac.
50. I have seen cases in which impotence has
been supposed to have resulted from the excessive
use of ganja.
51. No; the great majority are respectable
poor persons. None.
52. I am not aware that there is any connec-
tion of the excessive use of these drugs with
crime, except in the case referred to in paragraph
53.
54. I do not know.
55. I do not know. I should think if a large
enough dose were given complete stupefaction
might be induced by this drug without admixture.
56. Bhang massala disguises the smell and
taste of the bhang, and is supposed by the
natives of this country to increase its cooling effect.
57. I have no experience of these uses of ganja
and charas.
57a. To sum up, I am of opinion that the
moderate use of ganja is harmless, and in some
cases beneficial, and that the use of this drug in
small quantities has much the same effect on the
mind and body as the moderate use of alcohol,
that is to say, it is a stimulant, digestive, and
mild sedative to the nervous system.
In the vast majority of cases the drug is taken
in small quantities, usually at social meetings, and
is as harmless as a cheroot or a glass of sherry.
It is difficult to state with any exactness the
number of persons who are in the habit of using
the drug in this manner; but I have endeavoured
to estimate it by multiplying the average number
of customers of each shop by the number of shops
in the town of Dacca, and I have come to the
conclusion that about 8 or 10 per cent. of the
population are ganja (or charas) smokers.
I am inclined to think that this estimate is not
far from the truth, because the Manager of the
largest jute business in Narainganj made a care-
ful census for me, with the result that out of 3,000
coolies he found nearly 300 ganja smokers. If
this estimate is correct, there are some 6,000 or
8,000 persons in the town of Dacca alone who are
in the habit of using these drugs, and (as I have
shewn in paragraph 26) only 2 per cent. of
these are excessive consumers (see paragraph 26).
Now with regard to the habitual excessive use
of these drugs. I have no doubt that their use
is hurtful both to the body and mind. They pro-
duce a form of intoxication; gradually the con-
stitution becomes impaired, the digestion fails,
there is a disinclination for work of any kind, and
a general enfeeblement of the body accompanied
by bad temper and excitability of the mind. In
most cases the ill-effects end here, but occasion-
ally insanity results. This is of two kinds—
(1) Usually the insanity is of an acute and
temporary nature, and sanity is restored
soon after the drug is withheld, often to
again return when the habit is resumed.
(2) In rare cases the insanity becomes chronie.
The following cases which I have selected from
among the patients of the Dacca Lunatic Asylum
will illustrate both of these types of insanity
produced by the hemp drugs:—
Example I.—Dayal Dass Bairagi, aged 45,
was born in Sylhet, where his father was a shop-
keeper. When he was about 16 years old his
family moved to Narainganj. Dayal was then
a strong and healthy lad. His father smoked
ganja in moderation; he was a healthy man and
quite sane, and none of Dayal's relatives were
insane. When he was about 30 years old he made
the acquaintance of some petty landholders who
used to meet together and smoke ganja. He
was induced to go to these parties, and so gradu-
ally contracted the habit.
At first he smoked only twice a day, and con-
sumed about 7 or 8 grains of ganja in the 24
hours; but he gradually increased the quantity,
until in 1890 he smoked seven or eight times a
day and as much as 60 grains of the drug. He
states that when he first began to smoke it made
him cheerful and happy, and he felt fatigue less
than before.
In September 1890 he got into some trouble
about a woman and had to leave his village. He
took to wandering about as a beggar and smoked
more and more ganja, until he smoked more than
double the quantity mentioned last. At this time
he began to lose his appetite, but felt as strong as
ever; but he noticed that his feet appeared to be
walking in the air. He then remembers going
about the country, singing and dancing. After
this he remembers nothing distinctly until he
came to himself one day in the Dacca Jail, where
he had been taken as an under-trial prisoner,
charged with theft. He was found to be incapa-
ble of making his defence and transferred to the
asylum. On arrival there he was found to be
quite sane, and he remained so until his discharge
on the 20th September 1893.
Example II.—Rajkumar Boy, aged 29, was
admitted into the Dacca Lunatic Asylum in 1878
with acute mania. He recovered in a short time
and was released.
A year and a half after his release, on the 22nd
October 1880, he was again admitted into the
asylum furiously insane. His insanity was attri-
buted to excessive ganja smoking and bhang
drinking, and again released after a short time.
On September 23rd, 1885, he was admitted into
the asylum for the third time with the same
symptoms. On this occasion Dr. Crombie, who
was then the Superintendent, in his evidence
before the Magistrate, stated that "his symptoms
were obviously due to ganja, of which he was a
confirmed smoker." He also certified that he
was suffering from the chronic use of ganja.
Immediately after his admission he was again
quite sane, and discharged cured on 30th January
1886.
He was admitted into the asylum for the fourth
time on the 28th May 1887 with exactly the
same symptoms of mania. He again quieted
down soon after admission, and as he remained
quite sane, he was discharged cured on the 16th
August 1887. Since his discharge he has been
seen several times by the Civil Hospital Assistant
of the Asylum. On the last occasion on which
they met, three months ago, the recovered lunatic
informed the doctor that he had quite given up
ganja since his release from the asylum in 1887,
and had in consequence been quite well ever
since.