104
REPORT OF THE INDIAN HEMP DRUGS COMMISSION, 1893-94.
[APP.
Statement compiled by the Superintendent, Lucknow Lunatic Asylum, giving the result of local
enquiries into the past, personal, and family history of the 17 lunatics confined during
1892 whose insanity was attributed to hemp drugs—contd.
Name, race, occupation,
district, age and register
number of lunatic.
Alleged cause
of insanity.
(Statement
VII.)
Type of in-
sanity. (State-
ment VI.)
Facts ascertained from local enquiries.
Asylum Superintendent's final report.
13. Ramanand; Brah-
man; Cultivator;
Suitanpur;
28;
No. 13.43.
Bhang
Recurrent
mania.
The enquiry into this case was made
apparently by a native official. The
report says: "The residents of the
village where he used to reside, while
attributing the cause of insanity to a
sunstroke, declare that he was not a
consumer of hemp drugs or any
intoxicant, nor had he any domestic
trouble, grief, or fright. No former
member of the family is said to have
been affected with insanity in any
shape or way." He belongs to the
"Sarwaria clan of Brahmans, which
is, no doubt, partial to the use of
bhang."
In view of the history of this case,
bhang-drinking very probably was
the exciting cause of insanity.
[NOTE.—The letter of the Deputy Commissioner
of Sultanpur, which is imperfectly abstracted
by the Superintendent, is annexed. The fact
that the fair copy was signed by a Deputy Col-
lector " for F. W. Brownrigg, Officiating
Deputy Commissioner," seems to have put Dr.
Hooper into thinking that the inquiry was con-
ducted by "a native official."]
14. Mahadeo; Hin-
du; Cultivator;
Kheri; 14 No.
13.47.
Ganja
Toxic in-
sanity.
"Mahadeo's mother and persons resid-
ing in the same village state that
Mahadeo does not use ganja, nor did
he ever use it. He was laid up with
fever and ague for 15 days, and this
affected his brain and caused his in-
sanity. None of his family ever was
insane. He had once before, some
three years ago, become insane on
account of fever and ague; but that
time it was not severe."
The Assistant Surgeon thinks he may
have been mistaken in concluding that
the symptoms were produced by
ganja.
[NOTE.—The Deputy Commissioner adds: "The
police being llged to report cause, pat it
down to ganja without proper inquiry."]
The cause given in the statement receiv-
ed with this lad was fever, but also
attributable to ganja, charas, and
tobacoo used by him.
The patient admitted the habitual use
of ganja and charas. The symptoms,
rapid improvement and cure, support
the conclusion that the case was one
of toxic insanity produced by the use
of ganja and charas.
15. Raghunath; Hin-
du; Bania; Shop-
keeper;
Unao;
40; No. 13.54.
Ganja
Recurrent
mania.
No insanity, in family traced; was not
addicted to the consumption of any
intoxicants.
[NOTE.—The Superintendent does not quote the
report to the filed that inquiry showed that
the lunatic "lost younger brother some six
months before becoming mad, of whom he was
very fond." Mr. Radlee, City Magistrate, Luck-
now, discovered this from the man's relatives.]
The lunatic admits that he smoked
ganja twice daily for 4 years.
He smiled very cheerily when shown
ganja.
Insanity probably excited in this case
by use of ganja—at all events in the
recent attack.
16. Baldeo; Lodhi;
Cultivator; Kheri;
25; No. 13.56.
Ganja
Toxic in-
sanity.
A careful enquiry from the father and
other persons residing in the same
village shows that Baldeo used to
smoke "too much ganja," but at the
time of his first attack he was laid up
with fever.
Baldeo's grandfather
on his mother's side was insane.
[NOTE.—The same witnesses say: "At the second
time when he became insane his malady was
not preceded by fever."]
There was undoubted inherited tendency
in this case, but the second attack
appears to have been induced by ex-
cessive ganja-smoking.
17. Mullu;
Hindu;
Carpenter; Luck-
now; 45;
No.
13.26.
Ganja
Toxic
mania.
No madness in family; now quite well.
Stated himself that he used to drink
bhang; had been taking bhang some
10 or 12 years, but has given it up
since recovery. Used to take about
half a tola of bhang daily.
[NOTE.—The report says nothing about spirits
Apparently no inquiry was made about it by
the City Magistrate]
Appears to have been a clear case of
toxic insanity induced by the use of
bhang and probably of spirit also.
W. R. HOOPER,
Superintendent, Lucknow Lunatic Asylum.