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to examine only a certain number of the cakes then, and to allow the remainder
to lie over for examination—some till 1895, the rest till 1896.
4. I was instructed to try experiments as to the effects produced on gánjá by
keeping it under the conditions now existing, in order to ascertain whether,
owing to these conditions, the drug loses much of its power, and if so, to what
extent.
In order to test this point I obtained. large samples of gánjá of both the
' r o u n d ' a n d t h e ' f l a t ' s o r t s g r o w n i n e a c h o f t h e s e a s o n s 1 8 9 0 - 9 1 , 1 8 9 1 - 9 2 ,
and 1892-93, and some time later a sample of 'Gurjat' g á n j á
s u p p o s e d t o b e o f
the 1891-92 crop.
From the physical and chemical examinations conducted with these
samples, it was evident that marked changes take place in the composition of
gánjá. It loses the characteristic odour of the drug, ceases to have any sticky
feeling when handled, changes from a greenish to a brownish-green, and ulti-
mately to snuff-colour; with the progress of this earthy colour it becomes dry,
friable and dusty.
It seems possible that to some extent the exciting and exhilarating effect
of gánjá resides in an essential oil, which almost disappears by the time the drug
has been kept in store for a year. There still, however, remains a considerable
narcotic effect in gánjá of a year old, though it is much less marked than in
fresh gánjá. In gánjá two years old the narcotic effect is so slight as to
render the drug practically valueless, while gánjá three years old is found
to be quite inert. Accompanying this physiological change was found evidence
of a corresponding chemical change, oxidation of the narcotic constituent of the
gánjá h a v i n g g o n e o n ; t h i s a p p a r e n t l y c h a n g e s i t f r o m a n a c t i v e t o a n i n e r t
substance.
having
the same time there was abundant evidence from the chemical
composition of the various samples examined that very considerable differences
exist in the composition of samples of gá njá grown in different seasons, and
even of samples of the same season taken from different localities. In conse-
q u e n c e o f t h i s , i t i s i m p o s s i b l e t o t a k e t h e r e s u l t s n o w o b a i n e d a s f i n a l , o r t o
consider them perfectly conclusive. What is essential in an enquiry of the kind
is that what is actually the same gánjá should. be examined at different ages.
To render this possible the following steps were taken:—Samples of both
'round' and 'flat'g á n j á
w e r e o b t a i n e d a t N a o g a o n a n d h a v e b e e n s t o r e d i n t h e
Government golahs at Calcutta for subsequent examination.
The first sample of each stored. in the ordinary way should be examined at
the close of the present rainy season; the second during the hot season of 1894,
when the gánjá is one year old; the third during the hot season of 1895, when
it is two years old, the fourth during the hot season of 1896, when it is three
years old; further examinations should not be necesary. Corresponding to each
of t he four sampl es of ' round' and. ' fl at ' are ot her sampl es seal ed. i n t i n-cases
to be used as checks upon the first, and at the same time to test the efficacy of
tinning as a means of preserving the gánjá. As the changes that occur appear
to be those of volatilisation of the excitant and oxidation of the narcotic
principles known to reside in gánjá, and. as both actions must necessarily be
prevented by the exclusion of air from the sample, it may be anticipated that
the process of tinning will be successful.
The contents of the cases and the dates of intended issue have been duly
marked on all the samples; no confusion, therefore, can arise even if the
different chemical examinations be undertaken by different officers. As it
was intended. that the experiment should show how the process of tinning would
act under ordinary circumstances, and not under special conditions which it
would be impossible to obtain if storage in tins were to take place on a large
scale, no special preparations by unusual drying were made before tinning down
the samples.
It will be seen, therefore, that waiting for final results, which is advisable
in the case of the third point, is in this case essential; it will not otherwise be
possible to state precisely the extent to which gánjá suffers by being kept year
by year.