148
REPORT OF THE INDIAN HEMP DRUGS COMMISSION, 1893-94. [APP.
the use of ganja or bhang. It is stated by the lunatic's wife that he was occasionally
using liquor.
5. On the 27th February 1894 Ramatanie Pillay, Abkari Contractor, who knew the
lunatic for the last 15 years, was examined. He states that in his opinion the cause of
Mahadil's lunacy is his misfortune and contracted circumstances rather than to ganja
smoking, as he was not addicted to that habit to the best of his knowledge and belief.
6. Gopala Tunei Nayudu, Head Clerk of the District Jail, speaks to an admission
made by the lunatic when he was in Jail to the effect that he used ganja freely, and says
that he learnt from his neighbours at Canel Bazar that he was addicted to that drug.
His evidence is hearsay, and the lunatic's admission cannot be relied upon as it is sup-
posed to have been made when he was an insane in the Jail.
7. Five more persons who personally knew the lunatic were examined by me at
Canel Bazar, whose evidence goes for the most part in corroboration of that recorded from
the relatives of the lunatic. It seems to be clear that Mahadil Saheb was not addicted to
ganja smoking and that the cause of his insanity has not been clearly established.]
13. Coopen.—His nephew says he lived by begging, and about two or three years ago
he began smoking ganja and eating majum. He also stated that "he also used to drink
toddy and arrack." The police report corroborates the above, but his brother states it
was some four or five years ago that he took to ganja.
[Note.—The brother's statement is as follows: "It is only two or three years ago
Coopen became mad. He got into the habit of smoking-ganja and eating majum. He also
used to drink toddy and arrack. His first symptoms of madness were fits **. When he
got these fits he used to fall down, and he used to foam at the mouth. The fits used
to last only for a very short time. Afterwards he used to become violent. In this state he
would continue for four or five days and then he would recover; and the same sort of fits
and madness used to repeat itself on almost every new-moon day."]
14. Tadiya.—No additional information obtained. Supposed to be a man down from
the Central Provinces.
15. Dona Papada.—No additional information obtained.
16. & 17.—Reply not received.
(Sd.) J. W. EVANS, Surgeon-Major,
Acting Superintendent,
Government Lunatic Asylum.
OOTACAMUND;
October 6th, 1893.
DEAR DOCTOR WARDEN,
I think it better to wait till I reach Madras (October 10th) before sending in remarks
on your list of hemp drugs cases in the Madras Lunatic Asylum.
* Of insanity.
To begin with, I must assure myself that the cause * has been entered in my own
handwriting. The statements of medical officers, medi-
cal subordinates, and magistrates as to cause are usually
untrustworthy, and are generally second-hand, from relations, who will say, for example,
that the new moon is a cause—I believe the Western belief is the full moon. My own ex-
perience in the Asylum was that I had to discard as much as possible the cause assigned
in the admission papers, and to try and find out for myself, and to put down the cause only
when I felt I had reasonable cause for so doing.