222
the Hindus for aught I know it may be different.
It is drunk or smoked by Hindu sadhus and
Muhammadan fakirs with incantation, invoking
the aid of Mahadeo or Anal Hack or Shah Bahawal
Hack, etc.
34.It would be a serious privation
to the fakirs and sadhu classes to forego the consumption of
the drugs they use. I know of fakirs and sadhus
living for days together by simply smoking ganja
or drinking bhang. It is in fact their food. I
can form no idea as to the number of each class,
having no census statistics before me, but it may
be put down that at least 15 per cent. of the whole
population of India will be put to the serious pri-
vation. They cannot at once give up the use,
fearing attacks of asthma, want of rest, appetite,
and indigestion.
25. In Sind and Gujarat the use of ganja and
bhang is on the increase, as they kept the per-
sons using or consuming them in good humour,
produce appetite, digestion and rest, and are not
so heating as other intoxicating drugs and drinks
are.
26. Amongst the consumers there are—
( a ) 70 per cent. of habitual moderate con-
sumers;
(b) 20 per cent. habitual excessive consumers ;
(c) 5 per cent. occasional moderate consum-
ers ; and
(d) 5 per cent. occasional excessive con-
sumers of bhang and ganja.
27. From the Hindus and Mussalmans. They
are mostly sadhu, bairagis is and fakirs, and some are
well-to-do Hindus and Muhammadans. There are
various circumstances which lead one to contract
the habit of drinking bhang and smoking ganja.
28. I give below the average allowance and cost
of each drug per day—
(a ) Habitual moderate bhang drinker com-
sumes about 12 pies weight, worth about
8 pies.
Habitual moderate ganja smoker smokes about
2 4 p i e s w e i g h t o r a b o u t 2 a n n a s w o r t h .
( b ) Habitual excessive consumer of bhang
takes about half a њ . or about three
a n n a s w o r t h o f b h a n g .
Habitual excessive smoker of ganja takes about
fifty pies weight, worth about five annas.
29. The well-to-do drinkers of bhang generally
mix almonds, pistachios, poppy seeds, pepper,
cardamoms, pumpkin seed, cummin and aniseed.
Dhatura is not mixed except by bairagis or
sadhus who want to remain in unconscious or
semi-conscious state. Ganja is ordinarily and
exceptionally mixed with tobacco and smoked by
all habitual consumers except some sadhus or baira-
gis who smoke it in their chillum without any
mixture to get more intoxicated.
30. As to the extent of consumption of each of
these drugs in solitude see my reply in paragraph
28. In company more or about one-third more is
used by each consumer. In Kid drinking of
bhang is confined to both males and females, and
in the ten days of Muharram pots of bhang sweet-
ened with sugar or jagri are kept in the bazar
for use by the masses of all ages, males and females,
except Hindus who have their own bhang pots.
Ganja is smoked also by sadhus' children, and
there is no limit of age when they commence
smoking.
31. The habit of consuming any of these drugs
is gradually formed but not easily broken. It
develops from moderate into excessive habit in
company or when the person using bhang or ganja
is in an indifferent health.
32. Except amongst the sadhus and fakirs there
is no custom, social or religious, to use these
drugs. It is often said that a man is not admitted
into the fraternity or class of fakirs or sadhus
unless he commences with the drinking of bhang
or the smoking of ganja. Bhang is generally
temperately drunk by the fakirs, but ganja is
excessively smoked by the sadhus. It is likely
to lead to formation of habit, otherwise injurious.
33. The consumption of each of these drugs is
generally regarded by educated people with dis-
favour. The Muhammadan religion prohibits the
use of any intoxicating drug or liquid. Amongst
35.
35. It would not be feasible to prohibit the use
of any of these drugs the present generation at
least. The drugs would be illicitly consumed.
The prohibition will cause serious discontent and
lead to danger. Education is the only means of
making the future generation understand the dis-
advantages arising from the consumption of any of
these drugs. No end of preaching will have any
effect on habitual consumers. I do not think the
prohibition would be followed by recourse to (a )
alcoholic stimulants, or ( b) ot her drugs.
36. There is no reason for thinking that alcohol
is now being substituted for any of these drugs.
On the contrary, fakirs and sadhus hate alcoholic
drink. 1 actually tried this by offering spirituous
liquor to them, but they would not drink it.
37. Charas is said to be more intoxicating than
ganja. It is more injurious to human constitution
than ganja.
38. The three different preparations of ganja
produce different effects on the consumers on
account of the three being a degree more or less
intoxicating. Proper effect is secured by the con-
sumer increasing or decreasing the quantity of the
ganja according to its strength.
See my answer to paragraph 21.
39. The smoking of any preparation of hemp
plant is more injurious than drinking or eating
bhang, as the latter is more cooling and less
intoxicating.
40. In Unani Tib and Persian books on medi-
cines, like Mujarrebat Bo Ali, published at Agra
by Munshi Kishanlal, Mujarrebat Akbari published
at Bombay by Mohamed Husen, the uses of these
drugs are prescribed for different ailments, etc.
The Makhzan-ul-Advia describes the advantages
and disadvantages arising by the consumption of
these drugs.
41. The moderate use of charas, ganja or bhang
is considered beneficial
(a) as a food accessory or digestive;
(b ) as giving staying power under severe
exertion or exposure or alleviation of
fatigue ;
( c) as a febrifuge or preventive of disease in
malarious and unhealthy tracts. I have
seen sadhus enduring after a smoke of
ganja any amount of cold without feeling
its least effect. I have seen sadhus stand-
ing in ice-like cold water throughout the
winter night and morning with north-
east cold wind blowing. I have also
seen Muhammadans and Hindu labourers
after a good drink of bhang working
night and day stopping breaches of bunds
and banks of canals without any bad