37
of the day, and were apt to be faint from want of
food in the early morning.
46. I have had no experience of such cases.
49 and 51. No.
53. Yes.
I can quote no instance.
54 and 55. No.
Answer No. 53.
20. Strength of regiment—
(a) Comtants
832
(b) Non-combatants
39
(c) Authorised camp followers
25
Castes and classes—
(a) Combatants—
Muhammadans.
Baluchis
105
Pathans
303
Panjabis
367
Sindhis
37
Of Hindustan
7
TOTAL
819
Hindus.
Of Panjab and Hindustan
13
TOTAL
832
(b) Non-combatants—
Muhammadans.
Recruit boys
24
Bhistis
5
TOTAL
29
Hindus.
Hospital Assistants
2
Sarkars
5
Bhistis
3
TOTAL
10
TOTAL
39
(c) Authorised camp followers—
Muhammadans.
Peons
2
Hospital bhistis
2
Hajams
8
12
Hindus.
Baniyas
2
Mochi
1
TOTAL
3
Sweepers
10
TOTAL
25
No man in the regiment smokes ganja or charas
24. About 20 Panjabis and 30 Pathans drink
bhang. None eat it. Baluchis do not use it in any
form.
25. I have no means of knowing.
23. Bhang 11/2 annas. The actual cost of the
bhang is about an anna, but another half-anna is
spent in almonds, etc., to flavour it.
Charas one anna.
Ganja half an anna.
32. At ziarats, melas, etc., it is usual to give the
guests and visitors a drink of bhang and Murshids
and Pirs drink it, although forbidden to do so by
the Koran.
Nanak Baba, the Sikh Guru, recommended the
drinking of bhang before prayer to enable votaries
to better concentrate their thoughts on God, and
this has now become a religious custom among
Sikhs.
33. The consumption of bhang is considered very
much as that of beer by the majority of the
English people, and I consider that in Sikh, Rajput
and other regiments there would be a very strong
objection and very much discontent were its use
prohibited. Pathans might not object or perhaps
Mussalmans generally. The use of charas and ganja
is held in disrepute because it ruins the constitu-
tion and makes men hopeless drunkards, while bhang
is quite harmless. I have heard that there are
tribes who worship the hemp plant, but cannot
speak as to its truth. I have seen Brahmans and
religious teachers use bhang at the holy lake of
Pokar as a religious ceremony, and I believe it is
used as such by Hindus generally, and to interfere
with this would be intolerable to them.
39. The smoking of charas and ganja is hurtful.
The smoking of charas and ganja is injurious. The
drinking of bhang is not. The hemp plant is very
rarely eaten, and eating it is more injurious than
taking it in infusion, as it is then much milder. I
have lived with natives who took bhang and seen no
evil results therefrom. I have seen charas and
ganja-smokers who are miserable specimens. I
have not personally known any one who eats hemp.
Reasons given in reply to question 41.
41. I believe charas and ganja-smoking cannot be
otherwise than injurious, even in moderation. The
moderate use of bhang is quite harmless, and I believe
acts as a stimulant to digestion. I once lived for
six months with a Hindu gentleman, a Brahman.
He and his friend and attendants used bhang mo-
derately. He was a great shikari and a man of
great activity and acute intellect. He told me he had
taken bhang for several years and that it did no
harm as whiskey did; that its use produced no ill-
effects on either him or his friends, and from per-
sonal observations I have arrived at the same con-
clusion.
42. Answered in reply to question 41.
43. Quite, except that the smell of charas and
ganja when smoked is extremely offensive.
44. Throughout all these questions it seems to me
that charas, ganja and bhang are put in the same
category, whereas the two former and the latter are
quite different in their effect, the two former being
noxious and the latter harmless. The moderate
use of bhang produces exhilaration such as strong
tea does. If taken in sufficiently large quantity it
produces sleep with pleasant dreams. It is rather
cooling than refreshing. It causes hunger. The