FURTHER ENQUIRIES REGARDING THE ALLEGED HEMP DRUG CASES OF
1892.
77
AGRA
LUNATIC
ASYLUM.
(SUPERINTENDENT,
SURGEON-LIEUTENANT-COLONEL
WILLCOCKS.)
Hemp
Drug
cases
admitted
in
1892.
Name, race, occupation,
district, age, and register
number of lunatic.
Alleged
cause of
insanity.
(Statement
VII.)
Type of insa-
nity. (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, &c.
1. Ram
Lal;
Brah-
man;
Cultivator;
Etah; 30; No. 168.
Charas
Mania
Good The papers show that the insanity
is "attributed to indulgence in
charas and bhang,"
that the
patient is not subject
to epi-
lepsy, and that no member of his
family is insane.
He is suicidal
and dangerous.
This is his first
attack, duration
two
months.
He is described as incoherent
and of filthy habits and laughs
and grins, hums and
makes
noises
to himself.
Admitted,
28th January 1892.
Discharged
cured, 12th September 1892.
The register shows the cause as
"not
known."
This
entry
is
made in Dr. O'Brien's
hand-
writting (then officiating Super-
intendent). On 1st February he
"answers questions quite ration-
ally, no tendency to wander."
On 10th August he is "so much
improved as to be now fit for
discharge." These are the only
two
entries.
Apparently
Dr.
O'Brien did not regard this as a
hemp drugs case.
2.
Motilal;
Hindu;
Ironmonger; Faraka-
bad; 28; No. 176.
Bhang
Mania ... Good... This is a second attack and has
lasted three months.
It is attri-
buted to the "use of bhang and
dhatura."
"Twenty or twenty-
two years ago the lunatic's father
and uncle were affected with in-
sanity."
He is dangerous, but
not suicidal. There is no entry
about
epilepsy.
The
medical
certificate shows "constant excite-
ment, talking incessantly and in-
coherently, tearing up his gar-
ments, singing, wild and excited
appearance,
and
sleeplessness
and filthy habits."
Admitted,
29th April
1892.
Discharged
cured, 12th September 1892.
The register omits all reference to
dhatura. The entry was
made
by a
Deputy Superintendent,
now pensioned.
The omission
of dhatura is apparently a slip.
On
10th
August
he "appears
to be much improved.
Slightly
excited when
speaking."
On
looking up the papers for
1889
we find that Motilal was admit-
ted on 15th June 1889 for mania
attributed to "ganja"
(though
the
magisterial
papers
said
"bhang").
He was discharg-
ed
on
10th
November
1889.
The family history of insanity is
clearly brought out in the Magis-
trate's papers, but is not referred
to in the Asylum register.
There
is no heading for such an entry.
3. Gopal; Brahman ;
Labourer ; Jhansi;
25; No. 178.
Ganja
Toxic
insanity.
Good... This man " has been subject to
insanity for the last ten years."
He "has been addicted to smok-
ing ganja for the last ten years."
There is no history of epilepsy
or of insanity in the family.
He
is suicidal, but not dangerous to
others except members of his own
family.
He is "subject to hal-
lucinations, especially on religi-
ous matters."
Admitted, 22nd
May 1892.
In the register the cause is shown
as "intoxicants (ganja)?"
On
11th August he is "very passion-
ate
and
quarrelsome,
beat a
warder when much
excited
on
14th June. Also excited on 20th
June; he tore his clothes and
beat his head against the ground."
"On 3rd December he was ex-
cited for three days and again
for two days in January.
He is
very easily angered, passionate,
quarrelsome, and
excited.
Ex-
cited especially on 3rd March for
three days, talks nonsense and
is very independent.
Never sen-
sible, works in cleaning party."
This entry was made on 21st
November 1893.
4. Jugla;
Brahman;
Labourer; Aligarh;
25; No. 179.
Charas
Toxic
insanity.
Bad ... This is his third attack and has
lasted five months.
His insanity
is "attributed to over-indulgence
in charas."
He is not subject
to epilepsy and has no history of
insanity in his family.
He is
suicidal and dangerous.
"He
is quite incapable
of looking
after himself.
He
sings and
mutters
incoherently.
Filthy
habits. He has the appearance
and habits of a poor harmless
and infirm lunatic. He wanders
about aimlessly, harmlessly, mut-
tering." Admitted, 5th June 1892.
Discharged cured, 13th February
1893.
The man has not been in this
Asylum before. On 11th August
he "talks
nonsense.
Habits
dirty, excited
on 21st
July."
The next entry is 10th February
1893, "He has steadily improv-
ed and is reported to be quite
sane since the beginning of Decem-
ber.
He has been quite harm-
less from the first, and as his
insanity was due to charas,
he
may safely be released
"cured."
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