171
89. Evidence of HOSPITAL ASSISTANT PURSON SINGH
CHATTRY, Sholapur.
1. I am an Hospital Assistant serving in the
Civil Medical Branch for nearly twenty-five years.
I have served in Gujarat, Sind, and have had good
association with the Punjabis in whom the use of
this drug is general.
2. The same names are given here, and two
kinds, namely, bhang and ganja, are sold here.
One more form of bhang is sold and consumed
in the form of sweetmeat (confection) called
majum or yakuti. The bhang is mixed with
several of the medicated confections called pak.
19. Yes
.
23. No
.
28.
Bhang
, u p t o t o l a .
Ganja
, u p t o t o l a .
Habitual moderate consumer ½
1
„
excessive „
3
6
Charas is not sold in this district. The cost
is varied according to the district.
29. Ordinarily tobacco is mixed with ganja
and charas for smoking. Bhang is ordinarily
mixed with spices, milk, sugar, and water. Ex-
ceptionally dhatura is added.
I know one form of massala in the preparation
of bhang called panch ratni, consisting of aconite,
arsenic, dhatura, opium and bhang, sweetened
with sugar, etc. The object of this admixture
is to heighten the excitement.
30. Ganja and charas are smoked to a great
extent in solitude, and moderately in company.
Bhang is much drunk in company, and moderate-
ly in solitude. Ganja is chiefly used by males;
but I have seen a few females smoke charas, as is
smoked by males only. Bhang is drunk by males,
females, and children. The custom is much pre-
valent in Sind and Punjab. In Sind I have
seen it administered to infants also.
31. The habit is easily formed and goes very
hard to break off. A moderate use of all these
three preparations has a tendency to develop into
excess.
32. There is not any distinct ceremony order-
ing these preparations to use as essential ; but on
the Maha Shivaratri day of Shankar it is a custom
with a limited sect of the community to drink
bhang, which is also called ghota. Some of the
disciples of sadhus smoke ganja and drink
b h a n g , a s a P e r s h a d o f S h a n k a r , a n d g e t i n t o t h e h a b i t
of the preparations which is injurious.
36. I do not know for the present whether
alcohol is consumed instead of ganja, etc.
37. I think the effects of ganja and charas
smoking are the same, charas being stronger.
Bhang drinking is milder than either of them.
39. The smoking of ganja and charas is more
injurious than drinking bhang. It causes conti-
nuous irritation in the respiratory passages,
resulting into chronic bronchitis and asthma. It
acts also on the nervous system as an excitant, but
this action may prove a little beneficial to the
system; but after some time by continuous ex-
citement, the nervous system is exhausted, the
mind gets delusive and terminates into insanity.
This occurs early in those who cannot afford to
supply their system with the proper nourishment.
v o l . v i i .
40. Yes ; more in Sind and Punjab by hakims
and vaidyas. The bhang is used in cattle diseases.
41. (a) I have observed cases of children in
whom the use of fried bhang has assisted diges-
tion.
(b)The smoking of ganja and chains give a
temporary tone to the nervous system, to allay
fatigue and over-exertion ; but they lose more
in its after-effects; so the loss is more than gain.
(c) No febrifuge and anti-malarious property
is noticed by me.
42. Except bhang in medicinal doses in cases of
children as digestive, all other preparations not
only do not act beneficially but prove injurious,
because if indulged in for a long time, it depress-
es appetite and strength, weakens nervous sys-
tem, followed by general debility.
44. The immediate effect on the moderate habi-
tual consumer is primarily refreshing and pleasing
by temporary stimulation of the nervous system.
Its secondary effect is intoxication, followed by
languid uneasiness and depression, when the time
comes for another dose to get refreshed. All
these effects are more severely produced in the
case of habitual excessive consumer. The drug
has no effect in allaying hunger.
45. (a) Produces weakness and loss of flesh,
intellect dull, and volition impaired and morally
weak.
(b) It does.
(c) Yes, after some time.
(d) It causes chronic bronchitis and asthma,
but cures dysentery.
(e) Yes.
(f) It deadens the intellect and may produce
insanity. The causes in my cases were exciting.
It produced insanity of a temporary type. The
symptoms were reinduced after liberation from res-
traint. The insanity by great talkativeness and
running amuck. I have no instance in which an
insane without ganja history has confessed to
the use of the drug.
(g) I am of opinion that the insanity pro-
duced in my cases had no previous connection
with mental anxiety or brain disease. I am not
aware of any instance of insanity which has a
tendency towards indulging in hemp drugs.
Case.—Mr. V, a weaving master in one of the
mufassal cotton mills, pay Rs. 150, got into the
habit of smoking ganja in bad company, After
a few days he began to get hallucinations and be-
came unfit for work, terminating in insanity.
The chief symptoms were talkativeness, sleepless-
ness, and great craving for ganja. He was under
great restraint for two months, and treated com-
monly with bromides, etc., and got cured. He
was quite right for 12 months, after which time
he again took to smoking ganja and again became
insane. The same treatment was adopted, and
got cured and sent to duty. This was the third
time he got insane by the same cause. After
recovery he did not attribute his ganja smoking
to any anxiety of mind, and his employers have a
very good opinion about his hardworking.
There is no trace of brain disease.
46. Same as discussed in column 45, but more
severely.
2 B 2