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beyond the walls, and its establishment be furnished from the asylum; and I believe that its
presence would greatly diminish the number of admissions into the Asylum proper, and thereby
lessen its expenditure.
X. Seeing that so many of the cases admitted into our asylums result from over
indulgence in gunjah or bhang, and are not really cases of insanity, I find some difficulty
in classing them, and accordingly venture to suggest that all such cases be included under
the head of Cannabism; they are easy of recognition, and the following characteristics
will assist in determining them. In a recent case the conjunctivæ are congested, the pupils
generally contracted, and the countenance wears a peculiar leery look, which, when once seen,
is unmistakable. The pulse may or may not be accelerated, and there is a marked unsteadiness
in the gait; great volubility or continued indulgence in laughter or song. If the muscular
system is greatly excited, there is a tendency even to rush wildly onwards in a straight
line—
unmindful of intervening obstacles, and consequently severe bruises, especially about the
shins, are often met with. These are indications to be met with in a novice, and I cannot
find that there are any unpleasant after-consequences in coming out of the debauch, which,
on the whole, seems to be a happy and merry state of intoxication. One woman, describing her
sensations, said that she felt as if her spirit wished to pass upwards through the skull, and
that her body longed to mount upwards as well.
Bhang drinking, as opposed to gunjah smoking, seems to induce pleasant reveries, like
those produced by morphia when the tendency to sleep is resisted. It is enormously indulged
in, far more so than gunjah, but easily overlooked owing to the
absence of excitement. In the confirmed gunjah smoker, there is
greater stupidity and less excitement, a kind of maudlin intoxica-
tion with conjunctivæ markedly red. Two tests at once betray the
habitué ; by frequently rubbing up the gunjah and tobacco in the left
palm with the right thumb a corn is produced on the outside of the
last phalanx, as shown on the margin, and if you place before him a
chelum said to be charged with gunjah, he will inhale the smoke with
one long prolonged whiff, which would at once bring on coughing in
the non-initiated. A confirmed gunjah smoker has frequently dark,
purple lips, but the corn and inhalation will always reveal him.
* Jan. 21st, 40.°
† May 2nd and 7th, 108.°
XI. In my last report I alluded to climatic and lunar influences in insanity, and
mentioned that my observations tended to show that they were generally negative. The
experiments carried on during the past year tend in the same direction, so that I think it may
be accepted as a fact that atmospheric alternations and lunar changes have no influence whatever
on the insane. Thus, the extremes of atmospheric pressure on July 20th (29.354), and Novem-
ber 30th (30.220),were not accompanied by any marked excitement; and the thermometric
extremes, for the coldest* and hottest† days were alike unmarked. The
. greatest amount of excitation occurred in April, when the thermometer
mounted up to 103°3, and we had 1.015 of rain; 20 cases occurring
during the month; but then in the hotter month of May, and with more rain, we had fewer
cases, i. e., 5 against 20. Lastly, in August, the month of greatest rain, we had the smallest
number of cases, i. e., four in all.
Then as regards lunar influence, the accompanying digest (A) of the detailed return
will show that the waning moon had again more apparent influence on the insanes than the
waxing moon; but this can only be accidental, for though less of her face is visible, she is still
in her place in the heavens, and her attractive power (if any) must still be exerted ; and that
she really exerts no influence whatever, is evident from the return (B) which shows that
there were actually more cases of excitement in her apogee than in her perigee.
10