135
base my opinion on my general experience and the
statements of the prisoners themselves. The
jail records give no information on the fact
whether the convicts are consumers of the hemp
drugs. I have not questioned each of the 1,700
prisoners on the point. I have sought informa
-
tion from authorities and from prisoners regard
-
ing their fellow-prisoners.
63. Evidence of SURGEON-MAJOR-GENERAL P. S. TURNBULL, Surgeon-General with
the Government of Bombay.
Ò ral evidence.
Question 1.—I am Surgeon-General with the
Government of Bombay. I have been thirty-three
years in the Indian Medical Service, all in this pre
-
sidency. I have been in military and civil employ;
more than half of my service in the latter. I am
Surgeon-General since February last. I have no
special asylum experience, nor any special insanity
experience, except as a visitor and inspecting offi
-
cer of asylums and prisons. I was Inspector-Gen
-
eral of Prisons in the Bombay presidency for two
years.
Question 45 .—I have no personal experience of
the effects of the hemp drugs, on the people. Nor
have I come to any very definite conclusions re
-
garding the connection of the drugs with insanity.
From enquiry of medical officers in charge of asy
-
ums and others I have ascertained that they are
said to be a cause of insanity. I believe them to
be an exciting if not a predisposing cause of in
-
sanity. I have not given the matter special atten
-
t i o n l a t e l y e x c e p t i n c o n n e c t i o n w i t h s t a t i s t i c s .
The statistics show that a considerable proportion
of insanes owe their insanity to the hemp drugs.
I have no statistics beyond those contained in the
asylum reports. The statistics do not distinguish
between exciting and predisposing cause of insani
-
ty. It is eight or ten years since I was Inspector
-
General of Prisons. A certain number of prison
-
ers was annually shown as having been transferred
to asylums, but the effects of the drugs on crime
generally did not come under my observation. I
cannot say what proportion of the prisoners so
transferred owed their insanity to the hemp drugs.
Nor can I say that I remember for certain that
any of them were hemp cases.
I know the procedure followed by the Civil
Surgeon in dealing with cases of insanity referred
to him for observation. My impression is that
hemp drug insanity differs from other insanity
simply in respect to its cause. The cause can
therefore be satisfactorily ascertained only by
history. This would be true also of all kinds of
insanity. To diagnose cause it is essential to have
an accurate history. No accurate history could
be derived from a man who could not distinguish
between coincident and causal connection. I am
aware that enquiries in these cases are generally
conducted by a subordinate officer of Police. Even
if the Civil Surgeon or Superintendent of Asylum
finds an opportunity of enquiring for himself, he
is at the mercy of absolutely ignorant informants,
but it is rarely the case that he has such opportunity.
The information obtained in the manner described
above has hitherto been accepted and acted upon;
but it is not in my opinion a trustworthy basis for
any conclusion regarding the connection between
hemp drugs and insanity. I think further en
-
quiry is necessary. In my official capacity I have
had no opportunity of making such enquiry, and
this is the reason why I have used the word
"impression" in regard to my views on the sub
-
ject. The enquiry into causation of all diseases is
a part of the duty of the medical officer, in order
to assist him in the treatment of the patient, but
he has not the means of making such enquiry in
these cases. The whole history and all facts con
-
nected with it ought at once to be entered in the
case book as a guide to treatment. Any fact
coming to knowledge should be so entered, and
the register ought to be a record of reasonably
ascertained facts. It is upon the register that the
returns are based. There is a column in statement
VII headed; "unknown," which is intended for
the entry of cases in which the cause has not been
ascertained with reasonable accuracy. If this
column was largely used, I should think it would
be a matter of censure on the person on whom the
responsibility for enquiry rests. I do not think,
looking at the present system, that such use of the
column, provided it is in accordance with the
Magistrate's information, would justify censure
on the Superintendent of the Asylum, for he has
to accept the material supplied by the Magistrate.
But he would not be justified in entering a case as
cause unknown if the Magistrate showed a cause,
without referring it back to the Magistrate for
further consideration. There is no actual rule
that the Superintendent must accept the Ma
g i s -
trate's record as to cause; but practically he must
do so, unless he has information to the contrary.
The diagnosis of course therefore rests with the
Magistrate except in those cases in which the
Superintendent may have an opportunity of in
-
vestigating the cause himself. I do not think
it possible for a lay person to ascertain accurately
the cause of insanity. There is too much tendency
to jump to conclusions. A joint enquiry by the
Magistrate and the Civil Surgeon, if feasible,
would be the best possible; but it would be diffi
-
cult to arrange such procedure.
64. Evidence of BRIGADE-SURGEON-LIEUTENANT-COLONEL G. A. MACONACHIE, M.D.,
Principal, Grant Medical College, Bombay.
1. None.
2. Possibly; but I have never heard so.
19. I have never met any one who used any
form of hemp, so far as I know.
23. Don't know.
28 and 29. Don't know.
30 to 32. Don't know.
36. Can't say.
37. Don't know.
39 and 40. Don't know.
41. So far as I recollect, I never prescribed any
form of Indian hemp for any purpose.