FURTHER ENQUIRIES REGARDING THE ALLEGED HEMP DRUG CASES OF 1892. 109
of decency and for many months before his death his health was failing steadily as a result
of heart disease. I think this was undoubtedly in the first place a case of toxic insanity
due to charas and ganja-smoking, but, as is not uncommon in such cases, the man latterly
became demented and had none of his original symptoms of toxic insanity.
Case No. 3, 'Hari Ram,' who was sent to the Asylum by the Deputy Commissioner of
Karnal, cannot now be found anywhere, nor can any of his relations be traced either in
Karnal or in Patiala State, where he was supposed to reside.
Case No. 4, 'Narain Singh,' who was a police constable, and was sent to the Asylum
by the Deputy Commissioner, Delhi, was really a resident of Ludhiana. The Deputy
Commissioner of the latter district, after careful enquiries, ascertained that the man, when
at home, had never been in the habit of using hemp drugs in any form, and had never before
been insane. This man, whom I remember well, was undoubtedly suffering from acute
mania, and there was never any suspicion that the case was one of toxic insanity, but in
the register the alleged cause was entered as 'bhang' by the Deputy Superintendent, for
reasons I cannot explain.
Case No. 5, 'Charata,' has been seen and cross-examined since his discharge from the
Asylum by the Assistant Commissioner of Rupar, and it has been ascertained both from
him and from his brother-in-law that he had never used hemp in any form. It was, there-
fore, correctly entered in the register of this Asylum as 'Mania,' though in the column of
alleged cause bhang was entered by the Deputy Superintendent, because this was said to
be the cause in the papers sent with the man to the Asylum.
Case No. 6 has been enquired into by the Deputy Commissioner of Hissar, who has
ascertained that this man, 'Sheri,' had never used hemp or intoxicating drugs of any kind,
and that the cause of insanity entered in his papers by the Hissar Police was an error.
Ganja was entered in the register as the alleged cause, but the case was correctly entered
after diagnosis as 'Mania.'
Case No. 7, 'Joseph Lalchand,' was, I think, undoubtedly one of toxic insanity due to
the use of charas, and the entry made by the Deputy Superintendent of 'Mania' in the
register was wrong. This man not only admitted having regularly smoked charas, but there
was corroborative evidence of the fact from some Baptist Missionaries who knew the man
well. The symptoms too were those of toxic insanity. I regret to say no trace of this
man can now be found.
Case No. 8 is still in the Asylum, but as he is unable to answer questions rationally,
there is no use in cross-examining him. The Deputy Commissioner of Karnal has been
trying to gather information about him from his relations, but up to date nothing has been
ascertained. This case, I think, was correctly entered in the Asylum register as one of
mania, and the case was erroneously included in Statement VI as toxic insanity. His
symptoms are not those of toxic insanity, and the fact of the man having made no improve-
ment whatever since he came into the Asylum more than a year ago is strong evidence
against hemp having anything to do with his insanity.
Cases Nos. 9 and 10 have already been referred to.
It is as well for me to explain here that the Hemp Drug Commissioners, when they
visited my Asylum in the hot weather during my absence on privilege leave were misin-
formed when they reported that no histories were kept up of any of the lunatics in this
Asylum. It so happened that during the year 1892 several changes had taken place among
the Deputy Superintendents of this Asylum and the man who took over charge from Mr.
Bernard, the late Deputy Superintendent, had not been keeping up the histories properly
and had also made several foolish mistakes in regard to the diagnosis of the cases by
filling them up himself instead of consulting the Superintendent first. It was during this
man's short tenure of office that all the mistakes and discrepancies found by the Commis-
sioners occurred, but since his transfer the histories, &c.; are all kept up properly as they
are done in other Asylums. It is most unfortunate, of course, that these mistakes should have
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