79
contracts in the British territory and annas eight
per each maund of the drug when exported from
or imported into a Native State is reasonable.
66. Only flat ganja is produced here; but I
think there should be no different rates of taxation
for different kinds of ganja, because they will be
troublesome to the exporters, manufacturers and
sellers.
67. No.
68. There are no houses or shops in this district
to my knowledge for the consumption of these
drugs on the premises, and none such will thrive
or be viewed with favour, as a majority of the
smokers or drinkers still drink or smoke in private
.
69. I must say that the wishes of the people
are not consulted as they should be. The con
-
tractors are always inclined to open more shops,
and they make some ganja smokers send a petition,
which is complied with. If the people are told
that it is in their hands to prevent the pernicious
effects of the ganja smoking by objecting to the
opening of a shop, they are sure to do so, as non
-
consumers of the drug form a majority.
7 0 . N o .
Oral evidence.
Question 24.—The statement that the prepa
r a -
tion of yakuti and bhang is not permitted in
Satara is based on information a contractor gave
me. I do not know myself.
Questions 45 and 46.—Moderate use of the drugs
is only injurious to those who do not get good
food, i.e., ghi or milk or animal food. Otherwise
it does no harm at all, Excessive use alone
causes insanity. The causes to which I have
referred in my printed answer have not been in
asylums. They are not violent, only raving and
senseless in talk and business. They are not
d a n g e r o u s . I s h o u l d l i k e t h e w o r d " v i o l e n t "
altered into "dangerous."
I know three of the cases intimately. The
patients are still alive. They are at least void of
intellect. They used all to smoke ganja. I do
not know whether they took dhatura with bairagis
or not. Other causes of insanity are loss of
money, loss of wife, or female relative runnin
g
away. These are the two principal causes.
Dhatura also produces it. Also alcohol to some
extent, as far as my experience goes. I have
known cases of insanity caused by loss of women
or loss of property. I do not know any other,
except these five—loss of women, loss of property,
dhatura, alcohol and excessive ganja smoking.
When people go mad from loss of money or loss
of women, they repeat the cause. i.e., talk about
it in their madness, saying "she is gone !" etc.
In all the three ganja cases above referred to,
I knew the father, but not the mother in any case.
I asked, however, about the mothers, and know
that they are not insane: not one of them. I
know no other relations than the father and
mother in each case. I know nothing of grand
-
fathers, etc., or other relations. One was a
Karbari in a Native State; he is a political pen
-
sioner. He became mad thirty years ago and has
been so since. His madness was attributed to
ganja. I do not know whether he had taken
dhatura; but people said it was ganja. I had
known him as a boy.
The second case was an Inamdar's son living
in Satara, where I was serving. He is 55 years
old. He became mad ten years ago. He had
smoked ganja for fifteen years previous to that.
Whether there was any other cause, he alone
knows. I cannot say whether he smoked dhatura.
But I was told his madness was to ganja.
He eats opium, dhatura and bachnag now. It is
the same person referred to in my answers 49 and
50. He had indulged in sexual excess. He has
several children; but he has had none for twelve
years; and he says that the reason he has had
none since then is that he has no desire now
through sexual excess. He now says this. He
was renowned for loose character before he became
mad. I only knew the father and mother in this
case, and they were healthy.
The last case is the son of a peon. He is 25
years old. Since I retired I went to the Aundh
State, and saw the father for the first time then,
two years ago. The patient washes pots as a
private servant. He is an idiot. I do not know
how long be has smoked. I never saw him until
he was brought to me by his father a year ago
to be kept in confinement. The father said the
insanity was due to ganja. I knew nothing of
the case except what the father told me. I kept
h i m a w e e k w h i l e h e w a s v i o l e n t . I t h e n l e t h i m
go. He is still mad, i.e., half insane, as I have
above indicated.
In none of these cases can I say whether there
was any other cause. I know that, so far as I
have been able to ascertain, there has been no loss
of women or property in any of them. And I
know there was not liquor in the first two. In
the third there probably was. Other causes may
have existed, such as dhatura or other unknown or
secret cause. All the cases were, however, attr
i -
buted to ganja.
Question 59 .—The ganja is inspected in shops,
and if it is rotton or adulterated, it is destroyed.
As a Government officer I have made such inspec
-
tions. I have never discovered adulteration. The
flat tops could not conceal an adulterant. Not
even in ganja when broken up or in the tiny
leaves of bhang could an adulterant be hidden.
37. Evidence of MR. H . INGLE, Retired Deputy Collector and Special Magistrat
e,
First Class, Karwar.
51. The alleged bad characters in the district are
not, in any large proportion, habitual consumers
of drugs. From what I have been able to learn,
the moderate use of the drugs under enquiry has no
connection with crime of any special character.
52. The previous answer is a reply to this
question. It is said that a regular consumer of
these drugs is soothed and comforted by their
daily use. A first indulgence may be likely to
incite to crime, but generally the individual
becomes insensible.
53. Excessive indulgence in these drugs does
not incite to unpremeditated crime. I know of
no case in which it has led to temporary homicidal
frenzy.
54. No.
55. I have not been able to obtain definite
information on the points raised in this question.
57. Charas is said not to be consumed in
Karwar. I have no information to give from
personal knowledge.