239
most part fakirs, beggars, scavengers, and men of
low caste. A few well-to-do people also drink to
excess; but such instances are rare. Idleness is
the chief cause which leads to drinking.
28. Habitual moderate consumers of bhang are
said to consume a quarter of a tola daily on an
average, and excessive consumers 10 tolas, the
respective prices being one pie and two annas.
It is said, however, that as much as a seer has
been consumed by an habitual drinker in the day,
and an instance has been reported to me of a man
who, having drunk bhang habitually for ten years,
took three-fourths of a seer of ghundyun mixed
with sugar and spices, and having smoked charas
also from his pipe, collapsed and lost the use of
one eye. He is now to be seen in the city of
Shikarpur a complete wreck.
29. Habitual moderate consumers mix as a rule
nothing with the bhang, but drink it in a large
quantity of water, when it is known as "pango"
or " sukho." The preparation is about 3 tolas to
a gallon. They also drink it mixed with spices
of all kinds, when it is known as " thadal," i.e., a
cooling drink, the spices used being aniseed,
pepper, almonds, sugar-candy, saffron, cardamoms,
poppy seed, coriander, petals of the holly hock,
succory, purslain, etc. Excessive consumers
drink it as a rule with water only, but parched
grain is sometimes added in order to intensify the
intoxicating power. Sometimes before being
mixed with water, the bhang is placed under the hot ashes of a fire, as this also is said to increase
its strength. Ordinarily bhang is pounded up
with a short stick which answers to a pestle, and
then put in the water, the mixture being strained
through a cloth. The spiced mixture is specially
used at festivals, such as the Holi or Shivaratri.
Dhatura is not used with bhang, nor do I know
of the preparation " bhang massala." Tobacco
only is mixed with charas and ganja.
30. Bhang is generally drunk in company, and
especially at social meetings, those who drink
it in solitude usually doing so in order to escape
the notice of their relatives or others who disapprove
of the habit. Women never drink it until they
are growing old; nor do children as rule. Young
men acquire the habit, but as a rule the consump-
tion increases with age.
31. The habit of drinking bhang is easily ac-
quired, and relinquished with difficulty if once it is
used to excess. Probably bad company is the
leading cause why people become excessive
drinkers. The second landholder whom 1 ques
¬tioned is himself a consumer, but said, and I be-
lieve truly, that he used to drink it to excess ;
but, finding how injurious it was, had for some
time drunk it in moderation only, and once a day
instead of twice, i. e., at evening, in the proportion
of about 2 tolas to a pint. He used the expres-
sion regarding his former excessive drinking that
he could not stand it, as he lost his head, and it
led to his being cheated by the banias, so he had
reduced his quantity to half an anna, i.e . , 2 1/ 2 t ol as
per diem.
32. On certain Hindu festivals, such as the
Holi, Shivaratri, Chetichand, and Vaisakhi, a large
quantity of bhang is prepared, especially in the
temples, and offered to all comers as a part of the
religious ceremonies. If any one is unwilling to
drink, he puts a drop on his tongue in token of
acceptance. The bhang so used is very weak,
and, the custom is one which is not likely to lead
to the habit of drinking. This was Mr. Naval-
rai's view, and he adds : "I have drunk it myself
several times and found it very refreshing : " yet
he was the leader in Sind of a crusade against all
forms of drinking of intoxicants. Hindu gold-
smiths, and possibly other mechanics, regard the
drinking of bhang on Tuesday as essential on
religious grounds, and call the drink "Shiva jo
sukho " i.e., " Shiva's sukho." This, no doubt, is
due to the fact that bhang is looked upon by the
followers of Shiva as sacred, because their god is
reputed to have been very fond of it, and drunk
large quantities of it. The Muhammadans on
Friday (which answers to our Sunday) consume
more of it on that day, as it is their weekly holi-
day.
33. I am convinced that the excessive drink-
ing of bhang is universally regarded as disreput-
able even by the very men who have become
habitual drinkers. A common term in discredit-
ing a man is to say that he is a " bhangi ; " i .e.,
one who drinks to excess, and even the drinking
of pango is liable to be cast in a man's teeth.
Thus people who habitually drink pango will with-
out hesitation deny that they do so if I ask them,
but this is no doubt partly due to their imagin-
ing that the sahib will look upon them less
favourably, and not distinguish between their
moderate and the bhangi's excessive use of the
drug. Still I myself believe that all respectable
natives, Hindus and Muhammadans, in their
hearts look upon bhang, as they do upon opium
and liquor, as bad. Charas and ganja are in
disrepute with Sindhis, who consider that they
produce asthma and impotence.
34. The moderate consumer would, no doubt
soon take to other cooling drinks if the use of
bhang was interdicted, but I do not think that it
would be a serious privation to him. To the
excessive drinker the privation would undoubtedly
be great, and might also lead to his taking more
injurious intoxicants, i.e., preparations of dhatura,
aconite, opium, country liquor, etc.
35. As long as bhang could be procured else-
where, it would inevitably be smuggled if prohib-
ited here, and the same remark applies to the
other drugs in so far as they are consumed in
Sind. Its prohibition could be enforced by legis-
lation only. Discontent would undoubtedly be
caused by it, but I do not think that in Sind such
discontent would amount to a political danger. I
certainl y think, however, that other intoxicants
would be substituted, viz., liquor by the rich and
other deleterious drugs by the poor. Charas, being
prepared in Afghanistan and other parts of Cent-
ral Asia, could always be smuggled into India.
36. There is no reason whatever to suppose that
alcohol is taking the place of the hemp drugs.
40. Bhang is used by native doctors in the
treatment of many complaints. Thus in a diluted
form it is used to cure costiveness of the bowels,
and also in cases of temporary stricture, dysentery,
coughs, colds, and venereal diseases. For external
application it is said to be mixed with butter and
applied to boils, piles, ear-ache, and sore-throats.
In cases of asthma the stalks are broken up with
the flower of the dhatura and smoked. It is also
used as an aphrodisiac. The ashes of burnt
charas are said to be used for sciatica and worms.
41. Bhang used in moderation is beneficial
(1) as a digestive ;
(2) as a sedative in cases of pains ;
(3) as a cooling drink in the hot weather.
Here again I quote Mr. Navalrai, as his opinion
is, I think, extremely valuable owing to his hav-