FURTHER ENQUIRIES REGARDING THE ALLEGED HEMP DRUG CASES OF 1892.
81
Hemp Drug cases admitted in 1892—contd.
Name, race, occupation,
district, age, and regis-
ter 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 enquiry
from Superintendent, &c.
16. Kishan Lall ; Brah-
man ; Teacher; Ali-
garh; 30; No. 218.
Charas Mania
Indiffer-
ent.
This is a first attack and has
lasted about eight months. The
supposed cause is "smoking of
charas and over-indulgence in
drinking bhang and opium-eat-
ing."
He is not subject to
epilepsy and none of his family
have been insane. He is dan-
gerous, but not suicidal. The
lunacy certificate says: "This
man is insane, being silly and
weak in intellect. He is not,
however, in any way dangerous.
He might be admitted [to the
Asylum] for two months as he
is a charas smoker; and his
returning home at present would
enable him to go on with the
bad habit, which would eventually
cause him to become a danger-
ous lunatic."
Admitted, 12th December 1892.
Discharged improved, 28th March
1893.
The only Asylum register entry is
"discharged and made over to his
brother " on 28th March 1893.
17. Ganga Lohar;
Ironworker; Agra;
26; No. 220.
Charas Mania
Good
This is the first attack and had
lasted a month. "He smokes
charas and the cause is attribut-
able to this habit." He is not sub-
ject to epilepsy and none of his
family has been affected with in-
sanity. He is dangerous. "His
expression is insane and his talk
is irrational."
Admitted, 12th December 1892.
21st November 1893 : "On ad-
mission he was very passionate
and disobedient and quarrelled
with all the members of his family
that came to see him. On 17th
April he struck Bhawani, criminal
lunatic, with his fist, and also struck
Padma lunatic with a brick and
wounded his forehead. He left
off eating in May and went down
to 99 lbs. The acute stage has
passed off, and he is not easily ex-
cited, but still talks nonsense and
is rather slow in answering. His
expression is still insane and un-
certain."
18. Hari
Kishor;
Kurmi; not known ;
do.; do.; No. 219.
Charas Mania
Bad
Absolutely nothing is known about
this man. "He answers to his
name, but will not answer ordi-
nary questions as to where his
home is. He is dull and sullen
and has the appearance of being
of unsound mind." He is, how-
ever, harmless, and "apparently
fit to be made over to his friends."
Admitted, 13th December 1892.
20th November 1893 : On "ad-
mission he was unmanageable,
filthy in habits, destructive to
clothing, digging up his cell, and
fed with difficulty. From first
January he began to improve.
He is cleanly in his habits and
takes his food well. He is still
dull and rather sullen, and answers
questions with some difficulty.
Talks nonsense. Works well at
whatever is given him to do. It
is from his own statement that the
cause of insanity has been put
down to charas."
NOTE (1.)—The total number of admissions in 1892 was—
Criminal
Males
10
Criminal
Female
1
Non-criminal
Males
44
Non-criminal
Females
17
Total
72
Of these, the above eighteen cases were attributed in Statement VII to hemp drugs.
TO NOTE (2.)—In Statement VI only six are entered under toxic insanity, viz., two under charas and four under ganja. Dr. Willcocks e x p l a i n s that if an intoxicant
is entered as the cause, the entry of the mania as the type would imply that the case was
one
of
toxic
insanity. Therefore Statements VI and VII should
but taking the entries from the register for Statement VI several toxic insanity; cases must have been included under "Mania." It may be noted that since the
report was submitted, the cause of insanity in the case of Gopal, (No. 3, above) has been altered from charas to ganja.
25th November 1893.
21