286
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(b) Yes.
(c) Yes.
(d) Cause bronchitis and shortness of breath.
(e)
Yes, it does impair the moral sense or induce
laziness.
(f)
My idea is that it does deaden the intellect,
and it will produce temporary insanity in very
excessive smokers. To me it appears the exciting
cause. No such case has come under my observa-
tion. Unknown.
46. The excess quantity impairs the constitu-
tion. It does ruin the digestion. The ganja and
charas smokers generally suffer from bronchitis
and shortness of breath. It does impair the moral
sense, and does produce habits of laziness and im-
morality. No such case of madness came under
my notice.
49. Bhang is used by the hakims as such. It
is seldom used by prostitutes.
50. Unknown.
56. To increase intoxication in both, i.e., (a)
and ( b).
57. Unknown.
59. I questioned a man who came to me for
treatment suffering from nyctalopia, and the cause
was traced to ganja and charas smoking, which he
was addicted to some three years back. There is
no doubt that these drugs have a baneful effect on
the human system and that they derange the con-
stitution generally. It is, in my opinion, a useless
and expensive habit, acquired to no purpose.
Among the labouring classes especially, the habit
of bhang drinking and ganja smoking is the
means of, robbing many families of the little neces-
saries of life, and often the means of depriving
them of food. If a coolie, for instance, who is
given to this practice, earns two annas in the day,
he will, come what may, spend the half of it on
charas and bhang. Then, on the remaining anna
I ask, how is he to feed his hungry little ones.
Therefore it is my belief that a restriction put on
sale of these drugs, allowing a man to purchase
them for medicinal purposes only, or by raising the
price so that it will not come within the reach of
the poor will benefit the masses. The habit of
consuming any of these drugs is doing more harm
than good to the people of India, and it has come
under my notice that in very nearly every case of
murder, rape and robbery these drugs have been
employed with the admixture of dhatura and ad-
ministered to the victims before the deed, and it is
my opinion that the free sale of these drugs is an
accessory to crime.
24. Evidence of DR. S. M. KAKA, Medical Officer of Health, Karachi.
1. As a medical practitioner of eleven years'
standing and as medical officer of health, I have had
some opportunities of becoming acquainted with
hemp drugs and their effects, especially in Karachi.
My answers will mainly have reference to the city.
2. These definitions may mainly be accepted as
correct : flat variety of ganja is the most common,
bhang is known as subzi, chilti, thandai or thadul
(cooling drink), sai, abo, booti, punga (weak bhang) .
Charas is spoken of as bharaga. Ganja is, so far
as I am aware, known as ganja.
16. Bhang may be prepared by the people in
their houses. I fancy it can be prepared from the
hemp plant wherever grown. I do not think
ganja and charas can be prepared from the wild
plant wherever grown.
19. Ganja and charas are smoked generally.
Religious fakirs, gosains, and persons following
in their wake often eat a powder made of ganja
and rock-salt or sugar. This method of eating
ganja is very common, I believe, throughout the
province, the fakirs carrying a certain amount of
powder during travelling, or when they pass from
one district to another to worship their shrines.
20. Hindus mainly smoke ganja, Muhamadans
charas. Roughly speaking, 1 in 1,000 smoke charas
and 1 in 2,500 ganja.
21. Flat ganja is preferred.
22. Foreign charas is used, imported from Cen-
tral Asia through Amritsar and Loodhiana.
23. I do not know if bhang is used for smoking.
24. Hindus are the chief consumers of bhang.
It is, so far as I know, only drunk. Roughly, 1
Hindu in every 250 drinks bhang. The propor-
tion in the case of Muhammadans is 1 in 1,000 or
more.
27. The consumers of all the hemp drugs are
derived from the poorer classes mainly. Bhang is
indulged in by the rich. Low company mainly
leads to the practice.
28. Habitual moderate consumers
—
Bhang ½ to 1 tola, price ¼t o ½
a n n a .
Charas 1 massa „
½ , ,
Ganja ¼ tola ,, ½ ,,
Habitual excessive consumers
—
Bhang 1 to 2 tolas, price ½ to 1 anna.
Charas ½ tola „ 3 annas.
Ganja 1 ,, ,, 2 ,,
29. Ordinary ingredients added to bhang are
poppy seeds, black pepper, cardamons. The ordinary
majum of the bazar is prepared by macerating
bhang in water and adding ghee. The mixture
is boiled. The ghee extract is separated, sweetened,
and flavoured and coloured and allowed to cake in
flat dishes.
Yunani hakims prescribe a majum containing.
mace, myrobylans of all kinds, senna, ginger, musk,
almonds, pistachio nuts, opium (in the proportion
of 1 tola of each to the seer of bhang), the basis
being honey, syrup, or molasses. The majum is
said to improve digestion, keep the prima via in
order, give a general tone to the system, and to
act as an aphrodisiac.
Dhatura is used as an adulterant by retail
vendors of prepared bhang. Many consumers of
bhang are opium eaters. Very rarely opium is
mixed with bhang. Some butchers in Karachi
use the two together with a view to increase virile
power and prolong sexual intercourse.
Ordinary bhang massala of the bazar contains
poppy and hemp seeds, sugar, black pepper, carda-
mons, almonds, rose petals, water-melon seeds, and
coriander, mace, and nutmeg are added in the cold
water. Sometimes bhang is prepared in milk.
30. The drugs are chiefly consumed in company.
Bhang may be drunk in solitude ; but charas and
PER 1,000
CONSUMERS. H a b i t u a l
m o d e r a t e .
Habitual
e x c e s s i v e .
26. Bhang
8 0 0
2 0 0
Charas
7 5 0
2 5 0
Ganja
7 5 0
2 5 0