67
44. It is refreshing if taken in moderation.
(2) It does produce intoxication. (3) It does not
allay hunger. (4) It does stimulate the appetite.
(5) The effect of ganja or charas lasts about two
hours, and bhang intoxication lasts about six
hours. (6) The after-effects are lassitude and a
feeling of weariness. (7) The want of a drug to a
habitual consumer is not felt to any extent-not
like opium-there is no great longing or weariness.
45. The habitual moderate use of any of these
drugs does not, as far as I have ascertained, pro-
duce noxious effects, except in the case of charas,
which causes bronchial irritation with considerable
expectoration.
I believe a number of the sepoys of this regi-
ment employ these drugs habitually in moderate
doses, with, as far as I am aware, no injury to
health.
46. The habitual excessive use of the drugs
produces noxious effects.
It impairs the constitution, causing general
debility, except in the case of bhang, which is said
to produce no ill-effects.
Charas and ganja injure digestion, &c.; bhang
not.
Charas and ganja cause bronchitis and asthma.
Charas and ganja induce laziness.
The drugs cause, I believe, insanity, sometimes,
and are probably the exciting cause, but I have no
knowledge of any cases.
No case of excessive use of the drugs has come
under my observation in the regiments to which I
have ever been attached.
[Questions 45 and 46 answered by Medical
Officer.]
49. We are not aware of the use of these drugs
being practised as an aphrodisiac.
51. No. Some of the worst characters in the
regiment are in the band, and none of them con-
sume the drug. However, the use of bhang and
other preparations of hemp is frequently the cause
of crime. Lately it has been in the regiment the
cause of an attempt at suicide. Excessive indul-
gence is known to produce homicidal or suicidal
mania.
53. Yes. See answer 51. We know of no case
of homicidal frenzy in the regiment, but a sepoy
who lately shot himself while on sentry was an
habitual consumer and there was no known motive
for his attempt.
54. Yes, the drug is said to be used for this
purpose.
55. Yes, it is said that the drug has been so
used, but we believe that complete stupefaction is
induced by admixture with opium or dhatura seeds,
and administered in sweetmeats.
Answer No. 97.
20. Total strength of the regiment:—
(a)
Combatants-
Native officers
16
Rank and file
779
TOTAL
795
Hindus
533
Muhammadans.
154
Sikhs
18
Hindustanis
72
Christians
8
Jews
10
(b)
Non-combatants-
Medical officer
1
Hospital Assistants
4
(c) Authorised camp followers—
Tent lascars
5
Bhistis
8
24. Only two men in the regiment drink
bhang, the quantity being about one tola daily.
They are a Sikh, who is also a Gosai; and a Jat of
Rajputana.
25. It is not known, nobody having ever been
the worse for it.
28. The price of bhang is 3 pies for 2 tolas.
32. There are none.
33. They are forbidden by the Muhammadan re-
ligion. Nothing against it in the Hindu religion,
but it is considered bad form. There is no custom
of worshipping the hemp plant on any occasion.
39. The act of smoking it is considered the most
injurious; the next most injurious is mixing it with
ghi and eating it. Mixing it only with water and
drinking it is declared to be beneficial.
41. Yes, the moderate drinking of bhang is said
to be good; but the smoking of charas .and ganja
in any quantity is harmful.
42. Vide answer last question.
43. Inoffensive.
44. The immediate effect of bhang and ganja is
to increase the appetite and make men feel as if they
cared nothing for any thing and lasts according to
whether the man has been accustomed to take
it for some time or not. A beginner for six hours,
an older hand only one. To a man accustomed
to it the want of it produces many ill-effects and
sometimes madness.
45. Yes, both on body and mind.
Those who use these drugs are, as a rule, very
delicate in physique.
Yes.
Cannot say. But it is said that asthma very
often results from the smoking of ganja. In
India, as a rule, old people who smoke ganja are
asthmatic. But whether the asthma is induced
by the smoking or quite independent of it, I am
not in a position to definitely state.
There can be no doubt that moral sense is more
or less impaired under the use of these drugs.
It deadens the intellect, but I cannot say that
it induces insanity.
No information can be traced of the ill-effects
resulting from the use of these drugs from the
Medical History Sheets of the regiment.
46. There can be no doubt that the habitual
excessive use of these drugs is very injurious to
health. It principally affects the brain and nervous
system, and often induces insanity.
49. No.
51. Crime is increased by those who drink ganja
and charas, but not by those who drink bhang.
53. Yes, those who drink ganja and charas, but
not those who drink bhang. Two men of the
regiment at-after drinking ganja killed five men.
K 2