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Bhadralok for intoxicating purposes drink
bhang paste (prepared from bhang,
aniseed, black pepper, cucumber, and
melon seeds, milk, sweets, attar, rose-
water, and cocoanut water) diluted in
water.
(b) Pandas and Mahantas at Baidyanath and
Tarakeswar.
(c) By all classes on festive occasions and
pujas. On the last day of the Durga
Puja it is religiously offered to every
guest and members of the family, and
those who do not like to take it put a
drop of it on their tongue (by way of
acceptance).
For increasing the digestive power and
appetite bhang is drunk. Sometimes
eaten by young people for aphrodisiac
purposes in the form of pastry (kachuri),
ice cream, and sometimes drunk.
(d) Habitual moderate drinkers sometimes
drink excessively on festive occasions.
Charas.—(a) Habitual moderate.—Well-to-do
classes, both Hindus and Muhammadans,
specially in the towns, smoke for intoxi¬
cation. Traders, bhadralok, respectable
Muhammadans, singers, dancing girls,
and rich people, who meet in the
evening at a baitak, and theatre people
in the mufassal.
(b) Habitual excessive.—Rich people who
meet in the evening at a baitak for
singing and conversation.
(c) Young men of loose habits for intox-
cating and approdisiac purposes, who
do not like to be exposed, or who are
afraid of being detected of using an
intoxicant.
(d) Habitual moderate consumers consume in
excess occasionally. Zamindars and
rich people, when a large number of
friends and companions meet, occa¬
sionally smoke as tobacco in excess.
28. The average allowance and the cost of the
drug per diem.
(a) Habitual moderate smokers of ganja may
be divided into three classes:—
(1) Bhadralok, boatmen, etc., smoke ganja
once early in the morning and once
before going to bed at night. They
smoke one or two pice worth of ganja
each per day, 1/16 or ⅛ tola in weight.
(2) Bhadralok, jotedar, etc. (idle person
of the middle class), who can afford
to pay, and who have no occupations,
smoke once in the morning, once
after breakfast before their after¬
noon sleep, and once at night. They
smoke quarter tola in weight, price
four pice, in sadar, and quarter tola
in weight, price six pice, in the
mufassal.
(3) Labouring classes.—Cultivators, especi¬
ally during the rainy season, while
working in water. In the morning
before commencing work and when
they feel tired they smoke. After
breakfast once, and once at night
before going to bed. Thus they
smoke five or six times in twenty-
four hours. They smoke in small
quantities—two to two and a half
annas (sixteen annas making a tola)
in weight, on an average worth three
pice.
(b) Habitual excessive consumers.—They do
not smoke tobacco, but smoke ganja
whenever they feel a craving for
smoking. They generally smoke a
tola of ganja in weight per day, price
four to five annas.
Well-to-do people, who consume ganja in large
quantities, powder the ganja in a pestle and
mortar, aud then put the powdered ganja in the
chillum over prepared tobacco.
Average allowance of (per diem)—
Ganja.
Bhang.
Charas.
(a) Habitual moderate consumers.
Dacca—11/2 to 1 anna in weight, cost 21/8 pies to
41/4 pies.
4 annas in weight, cost
11/2 pies.
1/2 anna, cost 3 pies.
Mymensingh—1 or 2 annas in weight, cost 6 pies
at sadar and 9 pies in the mufassal.
4 annas in weight, cost
3 pies.
1 anna in weight, cost
2 annas.
24-Parganas—2 to 3 annas in weight, cost 12
or 15 pies.
8 annas in weight, cost
3 pies.
1 anna in weight, cost
2 annas.
(b) Habitual excessive consumers.
Dacca—2 annas to 8 annas in weight, cost 81/2 pies
to 1 anna 5 pies.
1 tola in weight, cost 6
pies.
1 tola, 8 annas.
Mymensingh—1 tola in weight, cost 4 or 5 annas. 2 tolas in weight, cost 1
anna.
1 tola, 8 annas.
24-Parganas—1 tola in weight, cost 4 or 5 annas. 2 tolas in weight, cost 1
anna.
1 tola, 8 annas.
In Dacca and Mymensingh wild bhang is used,
and it is therefore an inexpensive luxury.
On account of increase in duty and license fees
the consumption of ganja has greatly fallen off.
Poor people cannot now pay for the full quantity
they require.
29. Ganja—
Ordinary—Ganja is covered with dry tobac¬
co leaf before cutting, and a small
quantity of tobacco is put in the
chillum on which prepared and cut
ganja is put; over it charcoal fire is
put. Sanyasis do not cover with
tobacco leaves. When tobacco leaf is
not available, the ganja is mixed
with prepared tobacco. Ganja is sold
by itself. People taking it make
their own preparations.
Exceptional—
(1) The excessive consumers sometimes mix
powdered dhatura seeds or dhatura
2 X 2