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about three or four hours. It produces a longing,
and its want causes a sense of laziness.
45. Undermines the vigour of the body. Ganja
smoking causes asthma and bronchitis. Yes; to
some extent it impairs the moral sense. Yes, it
produces insanity. In one case brought to me
last year the exciting cause was ganja smoking.
In two others there were hereditary taint of in-
sanity from the parents. The first one is still
insane and had no lucid interval since the onset,
because he is always smoking ganja. I met with
a fourth case in which the type is a melancholic
kind of mania. The subject has taken to ganja
smoking afterwards.
46. Excessive use undoubtedly produces insanity
which is generally of a violent nature. There was
lately a case here in which an insane caused the
death of a native gentleman by striking him with
a piece of wood on the head. But this insane
person is not only a ganja smoker but also a
drunkard.
47. One ganja smoker tells me that his father
was a moderate smoker. He and his brother have
learnt to smoke from him in boyhood. Both the
brothers are moderate smokers now.
49. Yes; ganja smoking is common among
the prostitutes for its aphrodisiac action. Yes,
the use of hemp tends to produce impotence.
27. Evidence of AZHER HOSSEIN, Hospital Assistant, Gauhati.
1. I carefully questioned men who are habitual
consumers of the drugs, and collected information
from them.
2. Ganja and siddhi are not produced in this
province. The general name of ganja and siddhi
is locally known as bhang. Charas and subji are
scarcely used by the people here; hence they have
no particular name.
19. Ganja is used for smoking only, but it is
occasionally used in diarrhœa and cholera by rustics
of the villages. In Bengal the people may use
charas in some other way which the native of
Assam is quite ignorant of.
23. Siddhi or bhang is used in two different
ways. Some people smoke siddhi, and some take
it in the shape of sherbet mixed with milk, sugar,
and spices, and this is sometimes used in Assam by
the people in case of colic and in diarrhœa; but it
is not so prevalent in Assam as in Bengal.
28. (a) One pice
on an average cost.
(b) Two pice
29. When taken as sherbet only, black pepper
and a little sugar are used; and when as exceptional,
it is made a little rich by mixing milk, cinnamon,
cloves, cardamom, sugar, etc. Scarcely more
than a quarter of a grain of dhatura is used with
the sherbet in order to make the people a little
jolly. Opium, nux-vomica, cantharides, or betel-
nut are not used in this part of the country, nor
are they ever heard of so doing. No special bhang
massala is sold in Assam except the ingredients
mentioned above. Sometimes well-to-do people
use castor (mirgonavi) and sandal, to give it
flavour and other spices.
30. In case of solitude ganja is used about
half a tola, and in company one tola; siddhi or
bhang about half a tola and one tola in
company.
Charas is not used in Assam. The above are
used by both sexes to any time of life. Females
use less than males, and children below 12 years
never use any.
31. Not formed easily, but difficult to break
when once accustomed. It is a natural tendency,
and can be developed into excessive.
32. (a) Hindus at the time of smoking the above
drugs make some offerings by mantras to Siva,
saying "Bom, bom, Mahadeb !" and in case
of Muhammadans they invoke Khuda or Pir.
(b) Yes, as a part of religion the sanyasis or
monks must smoke ganja. It afterwards injures
the constitution.
(c) Excessive.
(d) Yes, injurious.
36. No; they must take the same drug to
which they are accustomed; otherwise some
disease may be produced for the time being.
37. Charas is a milder intoxicating thing than
ganja. When it is used, it produces dryness
of the tongue, contraction of the eyes, thirst
and constipation. The effects of bhang are quite
different from the effects of ganja-smoking, such
as when bhang is drunk or smoked the tongue is
dried, feels cheerfulness, and causes the person
to laugh, sing, and dance, or it acts according to
the tendency of the mind.
39. If the hemp plant is taken in any form,
it produces no intoxication, but it causes disorder
of stomach, as it is not easily digested. When it
produces no effect in the system, it is doubtful
whether it will produce any symptom of insanity.
40. Unable to say if it is used in the school
of native doctors for medicinal purpose, but siddhi
is used by the native kabirajes in diseases of the
bowels. Bhang and ganja are used for cattle
diseases.
41. (a) Charas does not, but the latter two
drugs create appetite.
(b) Ganja removes all these symptoms, but
charas and bhang do not.
(c) Neither febrifuge nor anti-malarious.
(d) Some people use this drug during any
epidemic, so as to keep their mind to some extent
cheerful.
42. Moderate dose appears to be harmless, for
it keeps the mind temporarily cheerful and free
from anxiety.
44. Those who are accustomed to these drugs
a moderate dose does not soon produce any effect
as far as health is concerned. It is slightly
refreshing like tobacco, but does not produce
intoxication; it allays hunger, but does not create
appetite. The accustomed dose in moderate
quantity does not produce long effect. When
there will be no effect of the drug taken, it pro-
duces the following symptoms:—Laziness, yawn-
ing, tearing from the eyes, pains all over the
limbs and a strong desire to have the dose.
45. In long-standing cases the moderate use
even produces noxious effect, i.e., weakens the man,
and produces dullness morally, as the tendency
of the mind is. Yes; weakens the constitution.
Yes, it does injure the digestion. Certainly, in long-
standing cases it produces dysentery, bronchitis,
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