267
Appendix to Dr. Bainbridge's evidence.
PARTICULARS OF LUNATICS CERTIFIED AND SENT TO A LUNATIC ASYLUM FROM THE CIVIL
HOSPITAL, KARACHI, FROM THE YEAR 1883
TO OCTOBER 1893 .
No.
Supposed cause.
Number of cases.
T o t a l C a s e s .
O C C U P A T I O N .
M e d i c a n t s .
S h o p - k e e p e r s .
L a b o u r e rs
.
C u l t i v a t o r s .
M i s c e l l a n e o u s .
U n k n o w n .
M a r r i e d
S i n g l e .
U n k o w n .
H.
M.
Ch.
1 Alcoholic intemperance .
.
1
1
1
3 ... ...
—
1 ...
2 cooks
1
2 •..
2
3
Indulgence in hemp drugs
.
Ditto
opium
.
.
9
1F.
8 .., 17
8
1
1 ...
7
Ol•
0••
2
6111
2 13
1
4
Ditto
ganja and opium ...
1 ..,
1 ... ... ... ...
1 butler . ...
...
...
1
5
Ditto
alcohol,
hemp
and opium .
.
.
.
3 ... ...
3
2 „, ,.. ...
1 carpenter ... 1
1
1
Ditto
narcotics .
.
1
1 ...
2
'
.. "
, "' *"
(' 1 cook
) ...
,..
...
2
t 1 baker 5
7
Fanaticism and religious excite-
ment
... 1
1 ...
8 Mental disappointment .
.
1
2
2
5
1 ...
1 ,..
3
.„ 2
...
3
9 Climate
.
•
.
, .., 1F. • , •
1 „. .., „. ...
1 wife of
tailor.
.., 1
... •••
10 Congenital .
.
.
.
1
4 ...
5 „.
1
1 ...
3
5 ...
11 Hereditary .
.
.
. ...
2
2
4
1 ... „.
1 2
... 1 widow ...
3
12 Cause unknown .
.
,
8 28
3 39
5 ,.. 11
14 5
10 24
25 50
8 83 23
2
9
34
14 14
21 48
-- --
16. Evidence of BRIGADE-SURGEON-LIEUTENANT-COLONEL J. F. KEITH, Superintencl.
ent, Lunatic Asylum, Hyderabad, Sind.
1. I have been a resident in Sind for over four-
teen years, and Superintendent of the Lunatic
Asylum for over five years.
2. Yes. They are known in this province as
bhang, ganja and charas.
19. Ganja and charas are used only for smok-
ing as far as I can make out in Sind.
23. Bhang is never used for smoking in Sind
as far as I know.
28. Habitual moderate consumers minimum-
Bhang-2 tola=1 anna.
Ganja— 1 47 tola=i „
Charas—k tola=1 „
Habitual moderate consumers : maximum-
Bhang-1 tola=i anna.
Ganja— 2 tola= 1 ,,
Charas-1 tola = 1 ,,
Habitual excessive consumers : minimum-
Bhang-2 tolas=1 anna.
Ganja— 1 tola =2 annas.
Charas—i tola = 3 „
Habitual excessive consumers : maximum-
Bbang-5 tolas=2i annas.
Ganja— 2 tolas=4 „
Charas-1 tola= 6
1)
29. Bhang, more especia lly amongst the poor,
is ordinarily drunk without any admixture. None
of the drugs mentioned (viz., dhatura, etc.) are
ever, to my knowledge, mixed with bhang, ganja
and charas except tobacco, which is always mixed
with ganja and charas : that is to say, that in the
preparation of ganja and charas for the chillum,
tobacco is invariably mixed with them. The ob-
ject of the tobacco being in both cases to keep it
going for some time, to prevent its rapid consump-
tion, and retard or slow down the narcotic effects.
vol. vii.
If a large volume of smoke composed solely of
ganja or charas is inhaled, the intoxicating effects
are almost instantaneous ; whereas, when mixed
with tobacco, the narcotic effects are not so rapid
and violent.
Bhang massala as sold in the bazaar consists of
the following ingredients :—Aniseeds, rose buds,
kasni, almonds, cardamoms, black pepper, poppy
seeds and sugar. When privately prepared, milk
is, as a rule, added.
30. Reliable statistics cannot be obtained of the
extent of consumption of any of these drugs either
in solitude or company. But, speaking generally,
it is much more or principally practised in com-
pany ; and this for two special reasons : (1) it is
more economic in company than in solitude; for
instance, the waste in the preparation of bhang
would be almost as much for one as for a dozen.
This also holds good with ganja and charas ;
for in smoking the chillum a person can take
only one or two long inhalations at a time ;
when he is recovering his breath, the cilium
circulates amongst the others instead of burning
away in the meantime. (2) It is much more
agreeable in company. I have watched them
sitting round a fire when the bhang, ganja and
charas, etc., were in process of preparation, the
hooka circulating, all kinds of stories being told,
songs sung and the sircar and respectable people
generally abused in anticipation of the general
debauch. This is confirmed generally by the
following translation usually sung on. these
occasions :—
Chillum is the loved of God.
Every one must honour it.
It goes round in company
As Krishna amongst the milkmaids.
2 o2