479
the ganja thus offered to the deity. The consump-
tion of ganja in this connection is often very
excessive, and numbers of people who first join
this ceremony as curious spectators are converted
into hard ganja-smokers.
33. The consumption of ganja is generally re-
garded as a disreputable and vulgar practice. It
is commonly associated with lower classes of
people; and the coarseness of the intoxicant,
coupled with the depravity which follows its long
use and the mental debility arising therefrom, may
be taken as the basis of the aversion with which
ganja-smokers are generally regarded by the public.
I know of no such worship.
34. It would certainly be a privation for some
time to the consumers to forego the consumption
of the drugs they use. For obvious reasons the
privation would be very great, if not altogether
serious, in the case of habitual smokers of each
class, the precise number of which it is rather
difficult to estimate.
35. In places where ganja and charas are not
locally produced it might be practicable to prohibit
these drugs; but it would be difficult to prohibit
bhang, which is extensively produced throughout
the country. Such prohibition would, no doubt,
create discontent among consumers; but such dis-
content could hardly amount to a political danger.
Prohibition might, however, naturally enough,
be followed by recourse to alcoholic stimulants, as
all intoxicants are found to be more or less in-
terchangeable.
36. It is sometimes observed that when people
are compelled under pressure to abandon the use
of any of these drugs, they avail themselves of
the earliest opportunity to take alcohol as a sub-
stitute. It is the craving of their artificial
system, brought on by long use of these narcotics,
that lead them always to search for some stimu-
lant. Fancy also leads not a few to court such
changes.
37. I have already said that I know nothing
about charas; and so I cannot say.
38. None whatever, so long as the exact pro-
portion of the different preparations are maintain-
ed.
39. It is for medical experts to express any
opinion on this. The visible effects are, however,
apparently almost the same.
40. Yes; they are so prescribed, though very
rarely, by regular physicians. Quacks, however,
prescribe them largely in some cases. I am not
aware that they are used in the treatment of
cattle disease.
41. To describe ganja as a food would be a clear
fiction. It rather impairs the digestive organs.
The fact that ganja-smokers are seen to undergo
long fatigue, which, under ordinary circumstances,
it would be impossible to sustain, is rather due to
the dullness of their appetite and the artificial
excitement of their nervous system. In the same
way madmen often work very hard, yet nobody
would suggest that insanity is a motive power,
either mental or physical, of human action. The
temporary excitement is rather sedative in its
after consequences, and in the long run the
consumers of this violent drug succumb much
earlier than their sober neighbours. Their end is
generally very painful and piteous. Bhang, though
not a food, when used moderately, is found to be
efficacious in chronic diarrhœa and cholic pain as
well as some other complaints.
42. I consider the moderate use of bhang to be
harmless.
43. The moderate consumers of bhang as well
as ganja are comparatively inoffensive to their
neighbours. As far as this question is concerned,
I rather consider the consumers of alcohol to be a
greater nuisance to the public than the consumers
of any of these drugs.
44. The immediate effect of the use of bhang
and ganja is dimness of sight, palpitation of heart,
and a creeping sensation throughout the nervous
system. This is followed by a tossing sensation
in the brains and vagueness of thought as well as
perception. Then intoxication sets in accompanied
with a feeling of dull relief. Ganja deadens the
appetite, while bhang sometimes creates it. The
effect generally lasts from three to four hours,
after which there is a feeling of abnormal depres-
sion and uneasiness and consequent longing for a
fresh dose.
45. The habitual use of these drugs leads to
physical deterioration, mental debility and moral
depravity. It impairs the constitution and weak-
ens the digestion. Bronchitis and asthma are the
never-failing concomitants of such use, which
generally terminates in dysentery. It does to a
certain extent impair the moral sense, and carried
to excess, leads to debauchery, though I must say
that ganja-smokers are not often as debauched as
consumers of spirituous liquors. It certainly in-
duces laziness, and its worst effects manifest them-
selves in insanity. In fact, a very large percen-
tage of insane persons is referable to this cause.
47. It does not appear to be hereditary, though
children do sometimes acquire the habit from the
example shewn by their fathers.
49. Prostitutes of lower order do sometimes
smoke ganja, though for what purpose I cannot
say. I do not know that the use of hemp tends
to produce impotence.
51. A very appreciable proportion of persons of
bad livelihood is to be found among ganja-smokers.
They easily enter into brawls. I do not think
that the use of ganja has any appreciable connec-
tion with crime, either general or special, though,
no doubt, the people addicted to its use are
generally of violent character.
53. I think it does. I know of only one case
in which a husband, who had almost turned an
idiot under the influence of ganja, killed his wife
in a fit of insanity. In the evidence it transpired
that this man had on several occasions attempted
to throttle innocent children upon no palpable
grounds. It is remarkable that little children
have generally a morbid dread in approaching a
habitual ganja-smoker.
54. This may be said of liquors, but not of
ganja.
55. I know of one instance only in which
bhang was so used.
56. I am told dhatura is sometimes mixed with
siddhi to increase its strength.
57. I don't know.
58. I consider the present farming system to
be objectionable. The practice of selling the
shops to the highest bidder has a distinct ten-
dency to increase the sale of these drugs.
59. I think it would be an improvement upon
the present system to fix the supply for each shop
at a maximum quantity, according to the ordinary
requirements of each place, and then to pay the
vendors at a fixed and uniform rate of commission