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known rarely to lead to insanity. Such insanity
is more of a temporary nature than permanent.
The symptoms are liable to be reintroduced. Insanes
often do confess to the use of ganja on recovery.
There is good ground to believe that ganja in
moderate doses leads to insanity, only if there are
predisposing causes. I know of a very recent
case where a menial servant who showed symp--
toms of weakness of intellect and had a bad com--
pany turned insane by moderate use of ganja for
two months. He has recovered after six months
in the asylum.
I know of a bhang case, in which a boy aged 18
years first took to moderate drinking of bhang.
This was followed by occasional smoking of ganja
in moderate doses. The boy went from moderate
to excessive use of both and turned insane, and
has been suffering for the last eight years. He
has not yet recovered; but is showing signs of
improvement . of late.
46. In large doses ganja and even bhang is
known to lead to insanity, which is curable
generally. The experience in a lunatic asylum
is calculated to demonstrate this clearly. The
average of persons admitted in the Ahmedabad
Asylum as insane on account of ganja is six per
year, calculating a five-year's average. The average
per year of such insane ganja smokers cured and
discharged is three. This shows that 50 per cent.
are curable.
49. Yes, especially by a few prostitutes.
51. No, I believe the moderate use of the drugs
has no connection with crime at all. This is best
known by the fact that out of the total number of
persons annually convicted and sentenced there
are few such consumers—perhaps from three to
five in a jail, where the number annually is
1 , 7 0 0 ,
52. My reply to this is the same as above.
Excessive use may lead to unpremeditated violent
crime in a few cases. I have access to all jails in
my official capacity, and reply to this by experi--
ence.
53. Rarely. Ganja may do so, but not
bhang.
54. No, but alcohol is.
55. Yes, but dhatura is often mixed. Yes in
large doses, complete stupefaction can be induced
without admixture.
68. Yes, I should have no objection to allow the
houses or shops, as they are harmlesss, and often
serve to assist in the detection of crime.
Oral evidence.
Question 35.—Persons who are in the habit of
smoking ganja require some sort of stimulant.
Bairagis and labourers being poor people, would
turn to dhatura, which they can get for nothing.
Such people want a stimulating drug and not a
sedative like opium. I know no other drug which
would suit such people's tastes. Dhatura would
be smoked with tobacco. The supply of dhatura
is unlimited. People who can afford it will take
to toddy or country liquor. Regarding the
change to dhatura, I was referring to excessive
consumers who want violent stimulant. Moderate
consumers might not adopt an alternative drug.
I have seen Bairagis smoking dhatura. The city
of Broach is holy because of its situation on the
Narbadda. It is much frequented by the pil
-grims of the Narbadda. I have therefore had
many opportunities of observing sadhus. My
statement that dhatura is a violent intoxicant is
based on information given me by these people.
I may say that dhatura is commonly used even
now, but by ascetics and fakirs only. The
higher classes regard it as a dangerous drug. The
fakirs do not ; but the lower classes who do not
use it are afraid of it at present. I have seen the
effects of dhatura taken in meat or drink. I don't
think the symptoms consequent on dhatura poison--
ing are those found in a mad man.
Question 45.—The second case I have described
has not gone into an asylum. I have known the lad
for the last sixteen years. He was about ten years
old when I made his acquaintance. He belongs to
the place where I reside, my native town Surat.
I am in a position to know him intimately. He
began to take bhang in the form of drink at eleven
years of age. The people with whom he was
living took bhang, and he therefore learnt the
practice. His doses gradually increased during
five or six years. Then he began to smoke ganja,
and gradually exceeded with that drug also. In
two or three years he began to show symptoms of
madness. He got steadily worse. There was no
improvement till recently, during the last six
months. He has now left off taking both bhang
and ganja. He was indulged with bhang by his
friends out of pity after he became mad : but his
ganja was stopped. For the last three years the
bhang also has been discontinued. The small
doses of bhang affected him differently at
different times. They sometimes excited and
sometimes soothed him. The father and grand--
father of the boy were healthy, and the family
were healthy. The mother became insane in her
later years, when the boy was about fourteen years
old. No member of the family took bhang ; but
the connections with whom he lived did so, I
can recall no other case of insanity which has not
gone into an asylum. I have had to hold the
police enquiry into one or two cases of lunatics
picked up in Broach city. I was Police Inspector
there. In those cases the insanes were ultimate
-ly handed over to their relatives, who turned up
afterwards. The result of the enquiry in these
cases was reported to the Magistrate. The report
in one case stated that the man was violent, in
another dangerous to others. I can't remember
enquiring into the cause of insanity in these
cases or making any reports on that point ; but
the particulars of the man's condition and the
necessity for keeping him in custody were stated.
This report was not on a printed form, but on the
form of an ordinary report.
Question 51.— I am speaking from my
knowledge of the population of the Ahmedabad
jail. Comparing the proportion given in my
answer 20, I hold the opinion that the proportion
of hemp drug consumers in the jail is much
lower than it is outside the jail walls, and I realize
that this shows that there are very few criminals
who use the hemp drugs. I have seen most of
the prisoners in almost all the jails in the presi--
dency, and in the course of my duty, as connected
with the detective branch of the police, had occa--
sion to question and examine them closely on various
points. I have paid special attention to this
point, and am confident of the soundness of my
opinion. My statement covers convicts admitted
into the jail for all offences. In regard to alcohol
also, I maintain that the proportion of criminals
in jail who are consumers is smaller than that
among the outside population ; but it is larger than
in the case of the hemp drugs. In regard to opium
the proportion is about the same as for alcohol.