51
Rajputs that stand in their way of taking
liquor.
36. No. In Dacca I had reason to believe that
the excessive raising of the price of liquor was
driving drinkers to use ganja. The reverse action
might take place if ganja were made sufficiently
dear or were wholly unobtainable. But ganja,
etc., would be certainly imported from Nepal
long before this stage was reached, and it would
be quite impossible to stop this with an open
frontier such as we have.
37. The effect is the same; only that charas is
more intoxicant than ganja.
38. Chur and flat ganja are more intoxicant
than round. There is no difference of effects in
kind.
39. Ganja and charas are never eaten or drunk.
Powdered bhang is sometimes eaten. Generally
it is drunk. Eating iu this case is more injurious
than drinking. Drinking is more refreshing, and
destroys the natural heat of the plant.
40. In the cure of itches, sometimes, ganja is
used mixed with oil. It is also used as preventive
of damp. Rheumatic patients and persons suffer-
ing from ague are sometimes advised to smoke
ganja. Only bhang is used in cattle disease.
41. (a) Yes, when used moderately.
(b) Yes.
(c) Yes.
(d) Not known.
To those who are unaccustomed to it moderate
occasional use of the drug is beneficial. To
those accustomed moderate habitual use will also
secure the desired end.
Generally the cultivators and labourers use the
drugs for the purpose noted above.
42. Many persons find the moderate use not
only harmless but beneficial. Experience has
proved so.
43. Yes.
44. It is refreshing, produces slight intoxica-
tion, does not allay hunger, creates appetite. The
effect of the consumption of one chillum of ganja
and charas (1/20 of a tola) will last for an hour
only. That of bhang lasts for four or five hours.
There are after-effects in the case of bhang. In
the case of ganja and charas, as soon as the in-
toxication is over, people feel a little uneasiness.
45. (a) No.
(b) No.
(c) No.
(d) No.
(e) No.
(f) No. No such case known. I believe
insanity has only been connected with habitual
immoderate use.
46. The sanyasis, as a rule, habitually use the
drug in large quantities. They are not said to
have suffered in the least by the use of these
drugs. On the other hand, their longevity is
partially attributed to their habitual use of ganja,
which enables them to sustain themselves in the
midst of damp and cold climates.
I have no personal knowledge of any cases, but
there are in the lunatic asylums many who are
said to be there on account of immoderate use of
ganja.
47 and 48. I do not think anything of the kind
has been authenticated.
49. (a) Not known.
(b) Not here.
(c) Not known.
(d) Not directly. It is excessive debauchery
which produces impotence. If used as suggested,
the latter would certainly be present.
50. Not known.
51. (a) Not known.
(b) No connection has been traced here.
52. No connection.
53. In lunatic asylum visiting, I have come
across cases so attributed.
54. No experience of this.
55. (a) Sometimes they do so by mixing dhatura
seed with bhang.
(b) No.
56. Dhatura is not mixed for personal consump-
tion. When mischief is intended, dhatura is mixed
for others. A few sanyasis, however, use dhatura
as admixture for personal consumption.
57. No such case known. My general experi-
ence is that ganja consumption has more markedly
bad effects in Eastern Bengal than in Behar, that
is to say, more cases of bad effects came to my
notice in Dacca than in Muzaffarpur. I believe
in Eastern Bengal the Muhammadans are large
consumers.
58. Yes.
59. The system in force is working well and
does not seem to be capable of any considerable
improvement. I would like to see a maximum and
minimum price fixed for the retail sale of the drug,
as I think violent fluctuations such as sometimes
occur are mischievous both to revenue and to con-
sumers. It is this. The trade is naturally worked
for profit. A ring of one or two or a few dealers
is formed which outbids all the small men. If
there is difficulty in this, they buy a few shops and
sell very cheaply, so as to take away the custom of
the small men and reduce their profit by this
means, and because they, too, must sell cheap to
get any custom at all. Then having got them all
out, the retail price is run up and large profits
secured. When the small men cease to compete,
the big men reduce their bids and the revenue is
at once reduced enormously, and it takes a long
time to get back the small men to come and com-
pete. By fixing a yearly maximum and minimum
you, to a great extent, prevent this intershop-
competition and each shop is sold on its special
average merits.
60. Ganja is not produced in this district. It
is grown at Rajshahi, where it is sufficiently well
controlled by Government officers specially em-
ployed for the purpose.
61. It is not produced here.
62. Attempts were made from time to time to
extirpate the growth of wild bhang; but, far
from securing the desired end, it proved a source
of trouble and oppression upon the people on
whose holdings the wild plant grew in profusion.
The scheme has since been given up, as it was
found almost impossible to check the growth of
this wild plant.
63. No.
64. No.
65. Yes.
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