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96. Evidence of ISMAIL JAN MOHOMED, Khoja, Physician, Bombay.
1. During my practice of eight years I have
come across several patients using the drug in one
form or the other.
2. Charas is also known as bhongus ras (Guz-
rati), and bhang itself is called thandai in Urdu.
4. Arabic—Nabtula—kinnoba and hashaisha is
the substance prepared from it. It is called
mafuen by Chinese.
15. Bhang or ganja is mixed with tobacco and
chewed also ; from bhang a preparation is made
called majum. A cooling drink is prepared from
bhang called thandai, and charas is used for
smoking.
16. Bhang is not generally prepared in the
house.
17. Marwaris, Purbhoyas, and native singers
called ustads.
19. Local application, a sedative also.
20. Very small proportion of the population
use the drug, generally the fakir and gosain
people use it, and occasionally young men of good
class who come in contact with above class are
induced to use the drug.
24. Marwaris and Bhayas and the native
singers. About 2 per cent. of them.
25. It is on the increase, as I have seen a num-
ber of cases of young men of late.
26. As to bhang only
—
(a) One per cent.
(b) Very few.
(c) A larger proportion than the above.
27.
Bhang is generally used by these people to
produce a pleasant intoxication and stimulation of
the brain ; some business men use it very mod-
erately. Others use it for its aphrodisiac effects,
and its supposed effect in preventing an early dis-
charge of semen ; but it is generally used by people
who have no occupation, but who spend their
lives as fakirs or sadhus or vagrants.
28. ( a) Two pice.
(b) Four annas or more.
29. Dhatura is used very exceptionally to pro-
duce more narcotic effects ; tabasier or vanslochar
is used, and miri gulab kali, khaskhas and
the fine cucurbitoca seeds and almond and carda-
moms are used.
30. Ganja and bhang are generally used in
company, but it is only used in solitude, if one
wants to avoid detection. Children soon get into
the habit of taking bhang, if they only use it for
a few times.
31. Habit is easily formed. It is difficult to
break off ; there is a tendency to develop into
excessive habit.
32. During Holi festival the Marwaris visit
each other's shops in great crowds, and they are
giving bhang and bhajias. Some of them take
bhang from every place that they visit. I have
heard that during the marriage ceremony among
Bhias they prepare bhang.
33. Those who use the drugs immoderately are
not respected in society, but even those people
who are in the habit of taking moderately are
shunned by those who do not use it.
34. No ; it would be great blessing to prevent
its free use.
35. (a) Yes.
(b) Rarely.
(c) By enhancing the duty on it. Prohibition
may for a time be followed by the use of other
drugs.
36. I don't think that people who use ganja
would be satisfied by the use of alcohol instead, as
the pleasure is quite different, but there is more
facility in getting alcohol for a little more price,
so there is a likelihood of the habit being changed
from ganja to alcohol.
37. The effects of charas are more narcotic.
39. Smoking ganja is very injurious, as I have
had a number of cases in my practice; atrophy of
the whole body is set in after prolonged use of
ganja smoking.
40. Bhang is used by native doctors to give
appetite, also in diarrhœa and gonorrhœa, also as
a fumigation in curing piles.
41. The effects are very deceptive, for the first
few days it acts as a digestive, and produces a
sensation of warmth, but ultimately it is harmful.
42. I think even the moderate use of it for a
long time is harmful.
43. They are inoffensive, inasmuch as they are
not violent.
44. Bhang .—It produces a pleasant narcotic
sensation, gives appetite first, but afterwards
allays hunger. The mind becomes deranged after
a long use, more so after the use of ganja, and the
sexual powers are totally diminished or lost after
ganja smoking. It does produce a longing.
45. After ganja—Yes, body wastes, mental
faculties become confused, and the moral sense
becomes below par. Yes ; many cases of chronic
diarrhœa and dysentery, as well as chronic bron-
chitis and asthma, are seen in those who use ganja.
It does produce laziness, and excessive use does
produce temporary insanity. I think ganja-
smoking produces insanity peculiar to it, as well
as I believe insane persons are likely to take up
the use of the drug. I know of two cases in
which persons with no hereditary history of in-
sanity became insanes after prolonged use of
ganja.
47. I believe it is hereditary in some cases.
49. Bhang, majum and subji are used as aphro-
disiacs. I think it is more injurious than when
used as narcotic, because it leads to excessive
sexual indulgences, premature decay and death.
Ganja produces impotence.
51. There is a small proportion of bad characters
who use ganja. The use of ganja has some con-
nection with crime in general.
53. After excessive use of bhang, I have seen
one case.
55. If bhang is taken in large quantity, com-
plete stupefaction ensues, but as a rule admixture
is necessary.
56. I have heard of dhatura being mixed with
ganja, but how it is made serviceable for criminal
purposes I cannot say.