102
condition for about two years. The causes of
their deterioration are numerous, but the people
of this province are unable to ascertain the exact
ones. The chief cause I can best understand is
the bad arrangement of their packing in gunny
bags, which does not perfectly protect them from
the destructive agencies of their narcotic property,
viz ., heat, light, and rain. In order to prevent
deterioration, they should be kept in tin or wood
boxes, and should, as far as possible, be kept apart
from the destructive agencies cited above. The
other precaution to be taken is that in trans
-
mission they should not be allowed to break
into chur, which becomes less effective.
19. Ganja mixed with tobacco is used for smok
-
ing as well as for medicinal purposes, while charas
mixed with gudakhu (a substance prepared by
mixing tobaco with jagri) is only used for
smoking. Ganja, bhang or ghota, and boja also
are used for drinking purposes. The above pre-
parations except boja are generally used in the
city of Nagar and large populous places in the
district of Ahmednagar. Boja is only prepared
and consumed in the Sholapur district.
20. As charas is produced in a comparatively
small proportion, very few people can procure it
for smoking. Among persons who get opportu
-
nities to be present at the time of ganja being
harvested, those who are given to ganja-smoking
generally try to secure it, and owing to its small
production it is never brought to market for sale.
Ganja-smoking is not generally restricted to any
particular class of people, but it is used by a great
number of fakirs, bairagis, gosains, and other
beggars.
21. The flat kind of ganja is only known and
used in this district ; therefore it is not possible to
give any particulars of the other kinds.
22. Native charas is used in this district, as
stated in questions No. 20 and 37, to the extent
and in the form secured as explained in the said
question. Owing to the insignificant quantity
consumed in this district, no foreign charas is
imported, and therefore no particulars regarding
it can be given.
23. Bhang is never used for smoking, but it is
used for drinking in the form of ghota, which is
generally taken to a moderate extent by the
bairagis, sadhus, fakirs, and marwadis, the object
being to cool their brains in the hot weather in this
district.
24. Use of majum is generally made by people
who are debauched. If comparison be made as
regards the users of it in the city of Nagar, it
will be found in the proportion of one or two
persons to every one hundred of its population.
Yakuti, gulkand, and shrikhand are used by rich
persons on account of their sweet scent, and because
of their partial intoxicating quality. Fakki is
used by mendicants and bairagis, etc., who cannot
afford to spend money. These persons indulge in
this, because they are prohibited from using
alcohol on account of religious restrictions.
25. The use of ganja, charas, and bhang is
generally on the decrease amongst the higher
classes on account of their advance in civilization.
But in the lower classes the use of them is on
the increase, because they are cheaper as compared
with other intoxicants, being at the same time
less harmless to health.
26.
(a ) The proportion of the moderate habi-
tual consumers is 2 per cent.
(b) The proportion of habitual excessive con
-
sumers is 2 per cent.
(c) The proportion of occasional moderate
consumers is 1 per cent.
(d) The proportion of occasional excessive
consumers is 1 per cent.
27. The Parsis and Christians do not use
any of the above drugs at all; the principal class
is that of marwadis, labourers, fakirs and bairagis,
who particularly indulge in them. The habit
of drinking or smoking is generally obtained by
keeping company with the persons who indulge
in any of these drugs. The reason why the labourers
use any of these drugs is that they forget for a
while their fatigues, and others use it for the
sake of pleasure.
28. The average allowance and cost of each of
these drugs per diem to ( a ) habitual moderate
consumers is ¼o f a n a n n a o f t h e w e i g h t o f ½t
o l a
of ganja.
(b ) Habitual excessive consumers, ¾ of an anna
or nine pies worth of ganja, which weighs
1½ tolas.
29. When either ganja or charas is used for
smoking, one-fourth quantity of tobacco or
gudakhu is mixed with three-fourths quantity of
either of the drugs to enable the ganja or charas
to burn soon, especially the former, which is not
used without being well washed, and while in a
wet state. Different classes of consumers are
not known to mix any other ingredients. All
classes of people generally mix the same kinds
of ingredients, viz., tobacco. Dhatura is a most
injurious and harmful drug ; it is never used by
consumers except when much intoxication is
required by them, and even on this occasion they
first mix it with ganja or charas before using
it, i.e., it is not smoked in its original form.
It is generally used by criminals to carry out
their designs sooner without fear of detection.
The use of the admixture is simply to effect
intoxication, in absence of which no intoxicating
effect can be had.
I am not aware of any preparation such as
bhang-massala, as it is unknown in this district.
But bhang is mixed with milk, almonds, sugar
-
candy, ginger, cardamoms, and poppy seeds by the
rich. The poor use bhang with jagri. The
object of mixing bhang with other ingredients
is simply to give a kind of relish to the bhang
drink.
Besides the above, majum, yakuti, shrikhand,
gulkand, and fakki are also prepared from ganja.
I am also informed that there is such a prepara
-
ation as boja, of which there is a regular Govern
-
ment farm in the Sholapur district of the
Bombay presidency. The mixture consists of
the ingredients as per recipe attached.
The preparation of boja is as follows :—Jawari
is roughly ground and boiled. It is then dried
in the air. It is then mixed with the following
articles. For (4) pailies of jawari boja—22 tolas
kosht-kolanjan, 2њ . of bhang, 5 tolas of dawna,
20 tolas of jawari offshcots, 5 tolas of marwa,
5 tolas of kuchla, and the whole is put into a pot.
Having kept this in this manner, it is called on
the next day "boja" in the Sholapur district.
Thirty seersof boja requires 15 seers of water, and
after filtering the same through the cloth it
becomes fit for drinking.
30. The consumption of these drugs is prac
-
tised in solitude by the higher and rich classes
to the extent of 1 per cent. and in company by