396
37. Evidence of BRIGADE-SURGEON-LIEUTENANT-COLONEL D. SINCLAIR, Inspector
General of Jails, etc.
Oral evidence.
I am Inspector-General of Jails with Civil
Medical Administration, including hospitals. I
have been in Burma since 1871. I have never held
charge of Lunatic Asylums and have no special
knowledge of insanity.
I understand that it was in 1873 that Govern-
ment issued a prohibition of ganja. But I am
unable to give any information of any value com-
paring the state of things before and after that
prohibition. I was in military employ until 1873.
I know nothing of the use of the drug here. I
think, however, that it prevails only to a very limit-
ed degree, and that only among natives of India.
I found this opinion on the experience I have of a
few cases of the discovery of ganja in jails among
prisoners who were natives of India. There were
no more than two or three such cases in the ten
years I had charge of jails. With this exception,
I am unable to give any information regarding the
use of the drug in Burma. I am therefore unable,
from personal observation, to say anything about
the effects of the drug.
The Lunatic Asylum Report and Returns are en-
tirely prepared in the office of the Superintend-
ent. I am not responsible for them. I do not
always share the Superintendent's views, though I
pass on his report. I think that the information
on which causes are assigned is generally unreliable.
I base this opinion on what I have heard from
Superintendents of the grounds on which they
make entries. They are anxious to get information
and lay hold of anything they get, though it is
often of little value. It is difficult to get any in-
formation. We often cannot even get the names
of individuals. The form prescribed has to be filled
in, and the endeavour to do this leads to causes
being entered which have not been fully ascertained.
The causes in the returns might be shown as un-
known where cause is not ascertained. There is
really no objection to this. But the impression, if
this were largely done, would be that the Superin-
tendent was not taking sufficient pains to ascertain
what the causes were. I should not like to say
that it was a merit to have the entries in the
column of " unknown cause " few in number. I
see that in the 1884 report I make a comparison
with other provinces that would indicate this. The
fact is that if the entries were numerous the impres-
sion would be unfavourable ; I should be inclined
to think that the officer was indolent. Since then,
however, I attach less weight to the causes shown
than I did then.
The subject of the connection of the drug wit
h c r i m e h a s n e v e r c o m e b e f o r e m e i n m y j a i l e x p e r i e n c e . I h a v e f o r m e d n o o p i n i o n o n t h e m a t t e r .
I have no sufficient materials. I believe that if
there were any great connection between ganja and
crime it would have come to my notice ; but that is
only an impression. I have no facts on which to
base any opinion.
My duties give me no opportunity of judging of
the working of the system of administration in
respect to drugs.
38. Evidence of SURGEON-LIEUTENANT-COLONEL O. BAKER, Civil Surgeon, Rangoon.
Oral evidence.
I have been over twenty years in the service and
for nineteen years in Burma in civil employ. I
have had no special training in lunacy and no
special experience in lunacy. I have had charge
of this asylum only for a little over two months.
I had never to my knowledge any experience of
ganja insanity before I joined the asylum.
Last year out of 169 civil lunatics, 72 were
admitted from Rangoon. The lunatics from Ran-
goon come for observation here ; and the medical
certificate is made out here. They come with a
statement from the police, which is frequently quite
blank, every entry being filled in as " Not known "
or " Nil ." The only case of insanity ascribed to
ganja which has come to the asylum since I joined
is that of Abdul Kadar. He was sent merely with
a letter asking that he be kept under examination.
No information was sent with him. The Assistant
Surgeon, Moung Thin, filled in the Case Book after
seeing the man's friends. I did not see the friends.
The friends very rarely come at all ; and they
cannot be kept. In this case I did not see them.
The Assistant Surgeon entered " ganja eating "
as the exciting cause, no predisposing cause being
given ; and the following entry Occurs three days
after the man's admission : —" Some friends of his
informed me that Abdul Kadar used to indulge
himself very freely in the use of ganja with milk
for about a year prior to his admission into this
asylum. They say that the abuse of ganja has
driven him to madness." Setting aside this entry,
there was nothing in this man's condition that
would have led me to suspect toxic insanity.
There were no special symptoms in this case.
In regard to cases sent in from other districts,
the information is most incomplete. In more than
half the cases received last year no cause of insanity
was given. When a cause is given, we accept
it as such. We have of course nothing else. My
experience is short, and I have had no reason to
question any entry made by a Civil Surgeon or
otherwise in a "history " received with a lunatic.
I think that officers concerned are glad to find a
cause when they can. I think they are under the
impression that it looks as if they were not zealous
if they do not find a cause. The most recent orders
on the subject are contained in Dr. Dalzell's Cir-
cular No. 21, issued to all Civil Surgeons on 21st
July 1892, while he was acting as Inspector
General of Jails.