63
would not be impossible, to prohibit the use of the
drugs ; but it is not quite necessary to do so.
The entire prohibition would, no doubt, cause
serious discontent among the habitual excessive
consumers, such as bairagis, gosávis, fakirs, and
mendicants; but I do not think that such discon
- t e n t w o u l d a m o u n t t o a p o l i t i c a l d a n g e r , a s s u c h
persons carry no influence with the public in
general, and are limited in number in the South
-ern Mahratta country. Considering the baneful
e f f e c t t h e u s e o f t h e d r u g s p r o d u c e s o n t h e m e n t a l a n d p h y s i c a l c o n d i t i o n o f t h e p e r s o n s u s i n g t h e m
immoderately, I am humbly of opinion that it is
absolutely necessary that the consumption of the
drugs should be restricted as far as possible. If
the drugs become dearer and scarce, the consumers
will naturally be more economical and prudent
than now in using them. The consequence will
be that the number of excessive consumers will
gradually decrease, and some of the moderate
consumers will, perhaps, substitute tobacco for
ganja for smoking. I do not think that any con
- s i d e r a b l e n u m b e r o f s u c h p e o p l e w i l l h a v e r e c o u r s e
to alcoholic stimulants if further restrictions be
placed on the consumption of the drugs.
36. No; I do not think that alcohol is n ow
being, to any considerable extent, substituted for
any of the drugs.
37. Charas is rarely used in the Southern
Mahratta country ; so nothing can be said of the
effects it produces from smoking.
38. Only one kind of ganja is used in the
Southern Mahratta country.
39. Only ganja is used for smoking, and smoking
is considered as more injurious than drinking or
eating any of the preparations of the hemp drugs,
as it affects the brain quicker than drinking or
eating.
40. Yes ; ganja is used by native doctors in
preparing medicines on diseases such as asthma,
dysentery, diarrhœa, dyspepsia. It is used also
in the treatment of cattle disease.
41. The moderate use of bhang for drinking or
eating is stated to be, and may be, beneficial in
its effects, as described in clauses (a) and (b) of
the question ; but I doubt whether the moderate
use of ganja for smoking is beneficial in its effects
in any way. Persons who actually consume the
drug say that the moderate use of it is beneficial
in its effects as preventive of disease in malarious
and unhealthy tracts ; but much reliance cannot
be placed on their statements. They naturally
extol the qualities of the drug they use. Gen--
erally the habitual moderate consumers of the drugs
use them for the purposes mentioned above.
42. I consider the moderate use of bhang for
drinking or eating is harmless; but I cannot say
that the moderate use of ganja for smoking is
harmless, as it is stated by a native medical officer
that smoking affects the brain quicker than drink
- i n g o r e a t i n g a n y p r e p a r a t i o n m a d e o f t h e d r u g .
43. Moderate consumers are inoffensive to their
neighbours.
44. The immediate effects of the moderate use
of any of the drugs is stated to be refreshing for
a time. It produces intoxication. It allays
hunger for a time, i.e., while the consumer is under
intoxication. The effect of smoking is stated to
last for two or three hours; but that of eating or
drinking any of the preparations made of the
drug is stated to last even for a day. The after--
effect is stated to be drowsiness. The want of
subsequent gratification does produce longing or
uneasiness.
45 In giving information on this subject
, native medical officer in the Dharwar district
states :—" Even the moderate use produces noxious
effects, physical, mental, and moral. It im
-pairs the constitution by making it lean (absorb--
ing all fat) ; prolonged use makes the digestion
bad. It causes bowel complaint and bronchitis.
It induces laziness, deadens intellect, and produces
insanity in some cases. It causes mostly perma
-nent derangement of the brain." I think that
officer's statement, quoted above, applies to ganja.
Some of the persons whom I have consulted in
Poona say that the habitual moderate use of any
of the drugs does not produce any noxious effects
—physical, mental, or moral—provided the con--
sumer is well fed. I can say that, at least in the
case of poor people who hardly get sufficient
nutritious food, the habitual moderate use of
ganja for smoking, to which only they are gener--
ally addicted, produces the noxious effects as de
-scribed above.
46. The habitual excessive use of any of the
drugs does, in my opinion, produce noxious effects
— p h y s i c a l , m e n t a l , a n d m o r a l . R a o B a h a d u r
Rudragowda Artal, District Deputy Collector,
Bijapur, in his report on ganja, a portion of which
has been quoted by the Commissioner of Customs,
Salt, Opium and Abkari in his report No. 4752,
dated the 11th September 1893, to Government,
on this subject, states :—" Irrespective of the
medical opinion or religious view regarding the
use of the drug, I humbly beg to state that its
use in the manner described by me has produced
demoralizing effects upon the physical and moral
condition of the ignorant masses, and in some
instances to such an extent that I have seen
persons becoming lunatics or half mad owing to
the intemperate use of the drug, and whose fami--
lies have been reduced in many cases to strait.
A sort of frenziness or madness gains over the
smokers, which makes them indifferent to worldly
matters, and all energy and activity are lost for
any work * * * . The baneful results have
been that some of the smokers, when unable to
work and support their families, abandon them
to their fate and go abroad as sadhus or
fakirs." From what I have seen and heard of
the habitual excessive smokers of ganja, I fully
endorse the opinion expressed by Rao Bahadur
Rudragowda Artal.
4 7 . N o .
48. The habitual excessive use of any of the
drugs also cannot be said to be a hereditary habit,
and does not affect in any way the children of the
excessive consumers.
49. It is stated that the drug is used as an
aphrodisiac, and that few prostitutes use it. The
use of the drug for this purpose is considered more
injurious than its use as an ordinary narcotic,
inasmuch as it gradually affects injuriously the
procreative power. I have not got information
as regards the form in which the drug is used for
this purpose in the Southern Mahratta country ;
but I am told that preparations made of ganja for
eating, such as majum and yakuti, are used for
this purpose in Poona, and that persons using
them drink milk after they use the sweetmeats.
I am given to understand that the use of the drug
in the form of sweetmeat for this purpose does
not produce any injurious effect if milk be drunk
after its use.
50. From what a bairagi in Poona said in
answer to my question, I am . led to believe that
, habitual excessive use of ganja for smoking pro--
duces impotence.