153
If I had regarded the last case as one of toxic
insanity, I should not have put it down to country
liquor in preference to ganja, though the lunatic
used both. If it is true, as stated in the asylum,
that the man smoked ganja occasionally but not
regularly, and that he drank liquor frequently for
years, I should have been inclined to regard liquor
as the more probable cause if the insanity could
be considered to be toxic. I should class hemp
drug insanity generally as acute mania. Acute
mania may be due to many causes. I can't say
that I have noticed any typical symptoms in acute
mania due to hemp drugs. The diagnosis would
rest on the appearance of the lunatic and on the
temporary nature of the insanity. Other symp-
toms would be redness of the eyes, violent excite-
ment, and mental activity. I have not noticed
anything peculiar about the pupils. These symp-
toms would be present in transient mania. I
would not go so far as to say that the diagnosis
of hemp drug insanity depends entirely on history.
There are appearances which one comes to regard
as connected with such cases, but on which I
should not venture to make a diagnosis without
history of the hemp drug habit. All the symp-
toms might be found in the form of insanity
known as transient mania ; but I should not diag-
nose transient mania from them, because my ex-
perience has led me to regard it as much more
rare than hemp drug insanity. Transient mania
might be brought on by mental shock, such as
loss of money or exposure. I don't think dha-
t urn poisoning, whose symptoms are well marked,
could be mistaken for it. Up-country men and
fakirs seem to furnish the majority of hemp-drug
insanes, These classes of persons are exposed to
vicissitudes of temperature and insufficient food.
These would be causes of transient mania. The
fakir class would be specially liable to an attack of
transient mania from exposure to weather, want
of food, and religious excitement. The solitary
habit would be more likely to induce melan
-cholia.
fakir. The fact of his early cure, as shown by
his exhibiting no signs of insanity in the asylum,
would point to ganja smoking as the exciting
cause, the symptoms having only lasted about six
days. If there had been no history of ganja
smoking in this case, the symptoms would have
been consistent with the form of mania called
transient mania . I have seen that form of mania.
Without the ganja history, I could not have arrived
at any diagnosis of the cause. Against head 12
in Form C of the case of Rangnath Trimbak is
entered " unknown," and against head 6 of the
same form regarding character is entered " drinks
bhang." I cannot recall the facts of the case
clearly, but think the entries were based on exa-
mination of his brother, who was present. It is
evident from the entry against head 12 that I
did not attribute the insanity in this case to the
hemp drugs. If I ascertained that the man used
ganja I would attribute the insanity to ganja in
default of other causes. It has not been my
practice to make enquiry whether the patient was
given to the excessive, as distinguished from the
moderate, use. In the case of Rangnath, it is
probable that the brother did not attribute the
insanity to the drug. In the case of Trimbak
Vinayak, all the entries in Form C are based on
the father's statement. I don't remember in
what condition the boy was, and the statement
" abstinence from food" was probably based on
the father's information. In the case of Laxman
Nandram, it is stated opposite " character " head
6 of form C) that " he drinks country liquor
and. ganja." The brother was present, and this
statement was probably made by him. Against
head 12, I entered the cause as " unknown." The
insanity having lasted two and a half years (vide
head 9) may have been the cause of my doubt as
to whether liquor and ganja should be regarded
as the cause. I have always looked upon Form
C as a statement of which the entries might be
modified by enquiry at the asylum, and I have
thought it better to record the word " unknown,"
unless I was tolerably certain regarding the cause.
76. Evidence of RAO SAHEB BHICAJEE AMROOT CHOBHE, Brahmin, Assistant Surgeon,
Poona City.
Ganja is used for smoking; generally a little
tobacco is mixed with it before use. It is also
used in the preparation of majum, yakuti, gul-
cand, and shrikhand, which are used for eating.
bhang is powdered and mixed with syrup and
used under the name of ghota for drinking.
Charas is used for smoking only.
They are generally used by the idle and vicious
of all classes ; but bhang and the said prepara-
tions of ganja are sometimes used even by persons
of respectable position.
Charas is very rarely used in this part of India,
and I cannot assign any reason for this.
Ganja and Charas are used for smoking, bhang
for drinking, and the preparations of ganja for
eating.
Smoking of ganja is prevalent amongst the lower
classes, and bhang and the preparations of ganja are
used, though rarely, by the other classes for drink-
ing and eating respectively.
Bhang is, I believe, never used for smoking.
The use of these narcotics is, I believe, on an
increase in Poona, and this may perhaps be due to
vol. vii.
the cheapness of the drugs. They are cheaper
than any of the other narcotics.
Low company, idle habits, absence of mental
work and poverty generally lead people to resort
to these narcotics.
A habitual moderate consumer requires per
diem half an anna for ganja and one anna for
bhang ; while a habitual excessive consumer re-
quires per diem two annas for ganja and four
annas for bhang.
Dhatura is sometimes mixed with these narco-
tics in order to increase their intoxicating effects.
The consumption of these drugs is chiefly con-
fined to the male sex. The habit is contracted
generally after twenty years of age; ganja is not
at all used. by children and women. Some pros-
titutes, however, are known to make use of bhang
and the preparations of ganja.
The habit is easily formed, and it is very
diffi¬cult to break it off.
It is not quite feasible to prohibit the use of
the drug, since its prohibition is likely to lead
the persons habituated to its use to take to other
more expensive intoxicants.
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