(30)
as somewhat to resemble round gánjá, but were tied up in bundles more like
those flat twig gánjá.
Broken into chúr one sample yielded 61.4%, the other 65.4%; broken
further into coarse powder, one yielded 95.6, the other 97.2%: the fine powder
obtained amounted in both cases to about 25%—one 24.8%, the other 25.6%.
The flowering tops, doubtless owing to the excessive number of seeds formed,
were much less glandular and sticky than those of 1892 gánjá from Naogaon.
The fine powder was a paler green; this was doubtless because it consisted to
some extent of pounded leaves. The characteristic smell of gánjá was present
but fainter than in 1892 cultivated gánjá, and was accompanied, besides, by a
distinctive, disagreeable, rancid odour.
Besides the tendency to lose weight by keeping owing to the volatile nature
of certain of its constituent substances, a process which is greatly assisted by
the drug having to be stored in a warm climate, gánjá is very much influenced
by changes in the degree of humidity of the atmosphere. In connection with
the estimation of the moisture naturally present in the drug as part of the in
-vestigation into its chemical constitution, a series of physical observations and
experiments were made in order to ascertain to what extent gánjá reacts to these
changes.
To ascertain the extent to which gánjá is charged with moisture
( 1 ) T h e f i n e p o w d e r o b t a i n e d i n t h e m a n n e r d e s c r i b e d a b o v e w a s d r i e d
in a water-bath at 100°C. till on repeated weighments the sample
ceased to lose weight.
( 2 ) T h e f i n e p o w d e r w a s d e s s i c a t e d b y b e i n g e x p o s e d u n d e r a b e l l - j a r
in a partial vacuum beside a vessel containing strong sulphuric acid.
To ascertain the extent to which gánjá is capable of absorbing moisture
(1) The same fine powder was exposed under a bell-jar to a saturated
atmosphere.
(2) The powder dried in the air-bath was exposed to the ordinary
atmosphere.
(3) The powder dried by means of sulphuric acid was exposed to a
saturated atmosphere.
The results of these experiments are tabulated below:—
TABLE VIII.—Loss of moisture by various samples of Gánjá.
SEASON.
Kind of gánjá.
When dried in air-bath
at 100°C. till sample ceases
to lose weight.
When dessicated in
partial vaccum by means
of sulphuric acid.
1892-93 . . .
Round . . .
9.93 %
6.64 %
Flat . . .
10.17 %
6.79 %
1891-92 . . . Round . . .
8.26 %
6.39 %
Flat . . .
7.62 %
7.80 %
1890-91 . . .
Round . . .
8.94 %
7.45 %
Flat . . .
8.25 %
6.93 %
1989-90 . . .
Round . . .
8.48 %
6.28%
Flat . . .
7.62 %
6.47 %
? 1891-92 . . . Gurjat . . .
9.48 %
8 . 7 7 %
TABLE IX.— Absorption of moisture by various samples of Gánjá.
SEASON.
Kind of gá njá.
Undried powdered.
gánjá exposed to
saturated atmosphere.
Gánjá dried in air-bath
exposed to ordinary atmos
-phere, dew point=69.2°F.
Gánjá dessicated by
sulphuric acid,
saturated atmosphere.
1892-93 . . .
Round . . .
13.00 %
7.65 %
25.36 %
Flat . . .
12.50 %
8.08 %
27.16 %
1891-92 . . .
Round . . .
11.88 %
7.45 %
15.45 %
Fl at . . .
9. 54 %
6.44 %
15.90 %
1890-91 . . .
Round . . .
13.31 %
9.11 %
23.03 %
Flat . . .
8.98 %
8.54 %
19.29 %
1889-90 . . .
Round . . .
10.25 %
7.88 %
19.02 %
Flat . . . 14. 29 %
8.55 %
20.16 %
? 1891-92 . . . Gurjat . . .
12. 50 %
6.82 %
19.64 %