FURTHER
ENQUIRIES
REGARDING
THE ALLEGED
HEMP
DRUG CASES OF
1892.
47,
DACCA
LUNATIC
ASYLUM.
(SUPERINTENDENT,
DR.
COBB.)
Hemp
Drug
cases
admitted
in
1892.
Name, race, occupation,
district, age and register
number of lunatic.
Alleged
cause of
insanity.
(Statement
VII.)
Type of
insanity.
(Statement
VI.)
State of
health on
admission.
Facts ascertained from the papers.
Asylum history and facts ascertained from
registers and from enquiry from
Superintendent.
1. Charan Das; Hin-
du;
Cultivator;
Dacca; 66; No.
K 117.
Ganja
Dementia Good
This man was first admitted to
the asylum in September 1857
at the age of 31 and discharged
in June 1864. Re-admitted on
1st
October 1864. In the re-
gister for 1864 it is entered:
"Stated
in his Descriptive
Roll
to have been insane for last
nine years; has not had any of
his relatives insane; is addicted
to ganja, which is the assigned
cause of his insanity.
During
insanity he has been intractable,
violent,
destructive,
at
times
irascible, talkative and incoherent
at times, silent and generally
melancholic."
He escaped in
1867, 1868, and 1871, and then
again on the
10th
December
1891.
He was recaptured and
sent back into the Asylum by the
Police on 8th January 1892, and
so appears as an admission of
that year.
None of the papers
in this case are now forthcoming.
Since admission to the asylum
in 1857 he has been reported to
be intractable talkative, and in-
coherent, and filthy in his habits.
Is always watching an opportu-
nity of escaping. In October 1872
Dr. Wise reports that he is a stu-
pid fellow who brightens up when
ganja is mentioned. In May 1883
he was excited for four or five
days, was restless and destructive,
and was so violent that he had to
be kept under restraint.
In Nov-
ember 1887 he is reported to have
been occasionally excited and vio-
lent. As a rule he was quiet and
harmless. He died of dysentery
on 22nd July 1893.
The post-mortem
examination show-
ed
(inter,
alia)—"Head.—There
was a large quantity of serous
fluid
in the cavity of the arach-
noid. Brain healthy, but some-
what anæmic and small; the ven-
tricles contained a small quantity
of serous effusion, but otherwise
healthy."
(Dr. Cobb.)
2. Dayal Dass Baira-
gi; Hindu; Beg-
gar; Dacca; 46;
No. K 345.
Ganja
Not
insane.
Fair
This man was admitted on the 6th
March 1891. He was accused
of theft, but found to be incapa-
ble of making his defence owing
to insanity. The Deputy Magis-
trate of Munshiganj (committing
officer) reported that his Descrip-
tive Roll could not be furnished
as no trace of his relations could
be found and no information
could be obtained regarding him.
On the 2nd November 1891 he
was discharged to stand his trial
and
re-admitted on the
11th
January
1892,
having
been
acquitted
on the ground of
insanity.
Discharged without security on
the 20th September 1893.
On 27th April 1891 there is this en-
try in the register: "Since ad-
mission he has appeared sane. He
admits he was addicted to ganja.
This probably was the cause of
his being insane for a time."
On 12th June
1891 it is en-
tered,
"Appears
quite
sane.
Answers
questions
rationally.
Gives a description of the theft
committed, and says he was in-
sane at the time."
He never
during either of the two periods
of detention in the asylum show-
ed any symptoms of insanity.
This case is specially treated in
Dr. Cobb's evidence under his
answer to question 57 (a). Dr.
Cobb appears to have discussed
the matter with the patient after
he recovered and recorded particu-
lars ascertained from him.
3. Baishmar Chandra
Saha;
Hindu;
Shopkeeper; Dac-
ca; 45; No.
L
153.
Ganja
Mania
Indiffer-
ent.
Admittted on 25th January 1892.
Civil Surgeon certified on the
14th January: "He is talkative
and
incoherent.
He is very
excited in manner.
He chatters
nonsense to himself. He is sleep-
less, troublesome, and incoherent.
He rubs his body with dirt. He
is not violent."
In his
Descrip-
tive Roll, which is signed by a
Sub-Inspector, it is stated that
he has been insane for about four
months, that nothing is known
regarding any of his relatives
The entry in the register ascribing
the insanity to ganja-smoking
was made by the Overseer imme-
diately on the man's admission.
The first entry by Superintendent,
Dr. Nicholson, is on 27th January
as follows: "This man became
more and more excited and rest-
less since his admission; he was
very restless night and day, rarely
sleeping, ate his food indifferently,
destroying most of it by mixing it
with dirt before eating. Shouted
and yelled at times, making a