FURTHER ENQUIRIES REGARDING THE ALLEGED HEMP DRUG CASES OF 1892.
107
Hemp
Drug
cases
admitted
during
1892—contd.
Name, race, occupation,
district, age, and register
number of lunatic.
Alleged
cause of
insanity
(Statement
VII.)
Type of in-
sanity (State-
ment VI.)
State of
health on
admission.
Facts ascertained from the papers.
Asylum history and facts ascertained from
registers and from inquiry from
Superintendent.
8. Dhuman;
Musal-
man; Weaver; Kar-
nal; 30; 242.
Ganja
Toxic
insanity.
Bad
His Descriptive
Roll shows that this
is the first attack and of four
months' duration. The "suppos-
ed cause" is "by
association
with a faquir, named Gul Mahom-
ed."
"The
mother
of
the
lunatic
was
affected with in-
sanity."
The medical certificate
shows that he "is unable to answer
questions rationally. When asked
his residence, names at different
times different villages while he
is actually a resident of Panipat.
When asked his brother's name
points to his blanket, keeps mut-
tering and twisting his fingers and
burst out laughing without ap-
parent cause.
Is sleepless and
noisy at nights, considers dogs
fit to eat.
He pointed to a pass-
ing dog and said it was good
eating.
He has not, while under
observation,
been abusive
or
noisy.
The police report
that
he tried to set fire to a thatched
house, and that he
threatens
people and is abusive and mis-
chievous."
Admitted, 2nd September 1892.
There is no Asylum history of this
man.
The type is entered in the
register as "mania," yet the case
is included
under "Toxic
in-
sanity" in Statement VI.
This
man was before us violent and in-
coherent, but said he used to take
ganja.
9. Adhan; Hindu; La-
bourer; Karnal; 28;
243.
Charas
Toxic
insanity.
Bad
The statement shows that this is
a second attack, that the duration
is three years, that the patient
has been "for six months in the
Meerut Dispensary and for one
year in the Delhi Dispensary."
The supposed cause is "drinking
and smoking charas."
Not sub-
ject to epilepsy.
No hereditary
history.
The medical certificate
shows that "he at times does
not know his own name or resi-
dence .
. .
. or what caste he
belongs to.
Sits silent for hours
or keeps moaning. Is filthy in
his habits and goes about naked
when he gets the chance.
He
has not been violent while under
observation.
The police say he
throws
stones
at people
and
threatens to strike people and
that he wanders into the jungle,
also that he is a drunkard, and
that he smokes charas which has
affected his brain."
Admitted, 2nd September 1892.
Discharged "improved," 1st April
1893.
This case is entered as "demen-
tia" in the register, but in State-
ment VI under "Toxic insanty."
The register entries are said to
be made after diagnosis in the
Asylum.
There
is no Asylum
history.
10. Nand Lall; Hindu;
Cultivator;
Delhi;
22; 246.
Charas
Toxic
insanity.
Indiffer-
ent.
The "statement" shows that the
attack was of ten days' duration
and the cause "not known."
His
relations reported at the Naugloi
Police Station that he was in-
sane.
The medical certificate of
22nd November 1892 says: He
is very noisy and abusive, tears
up his clothes, and is quite in-
coherent in his language.
Admitted, 23rd September 1892.
There is no Asylum history.
But
the register shows that he had
been admitted on 6th
August
1892 and discharged "cured" on
27th August 1892. The cause is
entered as "unknown" and the
type as "mania."
He was re-
admitted on 23rd September 1892
with
the disease described as
"mania," but now attributed to
charas. He was discharged cured
on 10th July 1893.
NOTES.—No. 11 is a re-admission (vide No. 7).
The number of admissions in 1892 (Statement VII) is 54 as follows:—
Criminal
Males
4
Criminal
Females
1
Non-criminal
Males
43
Non-criminal
Females
6
Non-criminal
TOTAL
54
Of these the above 11 are shown as due to hemp drugs; but as the eleventh case is merely a re-admission or re-capture of an escaped lunatic, the figures should
really be 53 and 10 respectively.
The
6th
October
1893.