19. Evidence of Mn. G. E. Maxim, Magistrate and Collector of Saran.

1. Information has been obtained from officials connected with the Excise Administration for a long time, medical men, as well as from many non-officials of the district.

2. These definitions can be accepted for this district. Each of these drugs is locally known by the name given in this question.

3. The hemp plant grows spontaneously in the districts of Darbbanga, Champaran, Muzaffarpur, and Saran. It is abundant in Darbhanga, Champaran, Monghyr, and Bhagalpur.

4. It is known by the different names of siddhi, sabuzi, and bhang. All these three names refer to the same plant.

5. Sterile land, moist climate, damp soil, and low ground are conditions favourable to the growth of the wild bhang.

6. The growth of the plant is ordinarily scattered.

12. No reason to think so.

14. Bhang only is prepared in this district from wild hemp (vide Question 3). It is not confined to any particular tract, nor is it prepared to a considerable extent ; only rarely people have recourse to it.

15. The plants (wild bhang) when mature are cut down and dried in the sun. The leaves are then separated from the branches and prepared for smoking, eating, or drinking as detailed below :--

(a) Smoking—Dry leaf of bhang smoking purposes, like poor peasants and fakirs places where ganja is not reach of the consumers. are few.
(b) Eating—Dry leaves of bhang are ground with black pepper and swallowed in the form of pills.
(c) Drinking—The above preparation in (b) is diluted with water and drunk.

16. Bhang is generally prepared by the people in their houses. It can be prepared from the hemp plant wherever it grows.

17. The above preparations of bhang are generally made by the people, who form the consum ers and the peasantry, consisting of almost all classes of Hindus.

18. Ganja.—It does deteriorate. It entirely loses its effect in time. It keeps good with ordinary care for about two years. When it is old and kept for some time, it loses its effect. Damp climate and want of ventilation make it lose its effect rapidly. When placed above the surface of the ground or in tin-lined boxes and in ventilated places, rapid deterioration can be averted.
Bhang.—It does not deteriorate for about two years. It begins to lose its effect after two years. It keeps good with ordinary care for about three years. The causes of deterioration are the same as of ganja. To prevent deterioration the same special measure may be taken as for ganja.
Charas.—It is never used in this district.

19. Ganja is used for smoking purposes only in this district. Charas is not used in the district.

20. The Hindu mendicants known as Jogis and Sadhus invariably, and almost all the different classes of Hindus more or less smoke ganja. The proportion of Hindus who smoke ganja to those who do not is 1 to 20. Ganja smoking is not confined to any particular locality. No Muhammadans, except some low class of them, specially professional singers and other low characters, are given to it.

21. The smokers are indifferent to the kind of ganja, but chur is extensively sold, probably because it has no twigs. Flat and round ganjas are also broken into chur for retail sale.

22. No charm is in use in this district.

23. Vide answer to Question 15 (A).

24. Hindus of all classes eat or drink bhang. No proportion can be given. One and the same man eats as well as drinks bluing, but the season for each is different. In hot and rainy seasons the drug is drunk, and in the winter it is eaten. It is not confined to any particular locality.

25. The use of bhang and ganja both is on the decrease. The reason in our opinion is that formerly both the drugs were cheaper, and consequently even persons of very small income could afford to have them in larger quantity at a less cost, while under the present circumstances they cannot do so. Better administration of the Excise Department in respect of bringing to justice persons having in their possession a large quantity of bhang or having in their fields wild-grown plants may also cause the decrease in the use of this drug.

27. Hindus of all classes, Brahmins, Rajputs, and Blitlinhars and mendicants, as a rule, form the consumers of g,anja and bhang. Of these the rich and well-to-do class use these drugs for pleasures' sake ; the labouring class to alleviate fatigue; and the mendicants to concentrate their thoughts. Bhang also is sometimes used for medicinal purposes.

29. (a) Ordinarily tobacco leaf is mixed with g,anja ; (b) rose water and flower are also used with it for flavour. Dhatura is not used with ganja. Tobacco is used with ganja to make it suit the taste, and also to weaken its effect.
Bhang. (a) Black paper is ordinarily used with bhang; (6) bhang massala, sugar, and milk. Dhatura is not used with it.
Bhang massala. We know of the preparation called " bhang massala. " Its ingredients are aniseed, kasni, rose flower, and seed of cucumber and melon. The object of the admixture is to have a cooling effect and agreeable taste.

30. Nang. The extent of its consumption is the same in solitude as in company. it is confined to the male sex. Children do not use it.
Ganja. In company ganja is consumed considerably more than in solitude. Yes ; it is mainly confined to the male sex above the age of 15.

31. The habit of consuming ganja and bhang is easily formed, and it is difficult to break it when formed. There is a tendency in the case of each of these two drugs, like alcoholic drink, for the moderate habit to develop into excess.

32. With the Hindus it is a social custom in Holi to consume ganja and bhang as well as other intoxicants. It is not essential. It is not likely to lead to the formation of the habit. In the Holi time the excessive use of the drugs sometimes proves injurious.

33. The public generally look down upon the consumers of the drugs. There is not any live public opinion, social or religious, in regard to the practice. The use of this narcotic in any form is in disrepute ; the sentiment is attributable to the fact that the moderate habit frequently develops into the excessive, which ultimately leads the consumers to ruin. There is no custom of worshipping the hemp plants.

34. In the case of ganja it would be a serious privation to habitual consumers to give it up. The reason simply is this, that they have contracted the habit, the discontinuance of which, it is said, would tell heavily upon their constitution. The same may be said in the case of bhang. Probable number of such sufferers would be thus :—
For ganja, 20 per cent.
For bhang, 5 3) ))

35. It would not be feasible to absolutely prohibit the use of ganja and bhang. If it is done, it would be consumed illicitly to a great extent. The prohibition can only be enforced by stopping the cultivation and wild growth of these drugs in the districts where they grow, but the prohibition of the wild growth of bhang is not very easy in this district, as it grows spontaneously in unfrequented places. The prohibition, if effected, would cause discontent to a large extent amongst the habitual consumers, especially the Sadhu class. Perhaps there is not any serious political danger. About this point Mr. Tytler, Sub-Deputy Opium Agent at Siwan, was consulted, whose opinion must be considered very valuable from his long residence in this district (about 20 years) and from the special opportunities he has had to know about the tendencies of the people. He is decidedly of opinion that an absolute prohibition of the use of the drugs would be attended with political danger. His argument is that the Sadhus and Brahmins and Rajputs holding some position in society chiefly form the consumers of the drugs. They will be greatly discontented when deprived of the use of the drugs, and naturally all the other classes of the Hindus with whom these consuming classes wield considerable influence will sympathise with them. There is no doubt that the habitual consumers when deprived of the use of these drugs will raise a yell of discontent which may occasion disturbances. The prohibition may be followed by recourse to an inappreciable extent to (a) alcoholic stimulants, because the upper class of Hindus and the mendicants (Sadhus) who are given to the use of these drugs would not have recourse to alcoholic stimulants, as they do not harmonise with their sentiments.

(b) No other drugs can replace ganja and bhang.

36. We have no reason to think so. The two drugs are cheaper than the weakest country liquor supplied to consumers. A pie worth of ganja would be more effective than one anna worth liquor.

37. The effects are almost the same, but that produced by charas is somewhat greater.

38. No.

39. The smoking of any preparation of hemp plant is less injurious than drinking or eating the same. In smoking, the ingredients of ganja are made volatile and remain within the system for a short period, and then eliminate easily through the respiratory tract, and hence have less effect. As regards bhang-smoking, which is rarely used, the effect is considerably less than that produced in the form of drinking or by taking it in the shape of boluses.

40. Bhang and ganja are used by native doctors for medicinal purposes in chronic intermittent fevers.
Bhang is used in the treatment of cattle disease.

41. Moderate use of bhang (a) is beneficial as a digestive ; (b) and acts as a stimulant after fatigue ; (c) and both of them (bhang and ganja) are considered as a febrifuge or preventive to malaria ; (d) and moderate doses of both of them stimulate virile power.
Hindus of all classes, specially the upper ones, as Rajputs, Brahmins, etc., are addicted to ganja and bhang in the proportion of five in every thousand. This refers to the moderate habitual use of the drugs.

42. The moderate use of these drugs may be considered as harmless, as they are digestive and preventive to malaria, and curative to looseness of bowels and dyspepsia.

43. Yes.

44. Immediate effect of the moderate use of the bhang and ganja is stimulant. It is refreshing, and produces slight intoxication and increases appetite. It does not always allay hunger. The effect of ganja is transitory and bhang is somewhat lasting. The after-effects are depression and loss of bodily health and flesh, and they are generally noticed when good food is not used by the consumers.
If the use be discontinued, it produces craving or uneasiness.

45 and 46. Moderate use of these drugs acts upon the physical health when proper food is not taken. Ultimately the moderate use of these drugs brings on loss of mental power, but generally moral power remains intact and as a rule riot corrupted. In the long run it causes dysentery and sometimes bronchitis, leading to asthma or consumption. It does not produce laziness nor impair the habits of morality or induce debauchery as a rule.

Moderate use does not produce as a rule insanity or deaden the intellect. But bhang somewhat deadens the intellect and produces laziness.

Moderate use occasionally produces insanity in men of sanguineous temperament.

The insanity, when produced, is acute mania, and generally of temporary character when the habit is given up. lt may relapse if the habit be resumed. The insanity is of a violent character, and the victim is apt to attack others or commit suicide by injuring himself. Men confess to the use of the ganja which has led to their insanity. No cases have come to my notice in which a person of weak intellect or suffering from some brain disease was addicted to gauja, and subsequently fell a victim to insanity.

The excessive use has a very bad effect on the constitution, which it impairs. It produces loss of appetite, brings on dysentery, bronchitis leading to consumption and asthma, and impairs the moral sense, produces laziness and immorality, but not debauchery, and as a rule produces loss of sexual appetite and brings on insanity of a violent character.

47. No hereditary tendency.

48.    Ditto    ditto.

49. It is used in moderate doses as an aphrodisiac, and sometimes so used by prostitutes.
When used as an aphrodisiac, it is not more injurious than when taken as a narcotic. Moderate use ultimately leads to impotence sometimes.

50. When used in excess it produces loss of sexual appetite, and is very injurious.

51. Generally bad characters of low class people are addicted to it. Moderate use does not produce any crime.

52. But when used in excess it leads men to commit crime.

53. Excessive indulgence of ganja or bhang may incite to unpremeditated crime, violent or otherwise. I am not aware of any case in which it has led to temporary homicidal tendency.

54. I have no personal knowledge of such cases, but it is not impossible, but rather probable, that criminals may fortify themselves by using the drugs before they commit a premeditated act of violence or other crime.

55. Generally it is not used by criminals to stupify their victims, so as to commit violence upon them.

56. Ganja smoked with tobacco leaf has less effect than when taken alone, in which form it is rarely used. Alcohol and opium enhance the intoxicating effect of ganja and bhang.
Bhang mixed with sugar produces much more lasting effect than taken alone. Both are used with tobacco to increase the intoxicating effect.

57. I have no experience as to ganja or charas being eaten or drunk.

58 and 59. I think the Excise Administration in respect of hemp drugs has been working fairly well. The recent increase of duty on ganja has to a certain extent reduced the consumption of the drug in this district.

60. Ganja is not produced in the Saran district.

61. No charas is produced here.

62. Bhang is not cultivated in this district. The wild plant grows spontaneously in out-of-the-way and unfrequented places. These can be controlled through the chowkidars if desired.

63. No.

64. No.

65. It is practically reasonable.

66. Yes, according as more or less of twigs and branches contained in each.

67. No objection.

68. Generally not consumed at the shops.

69. Yes. In towns the Municipal Commissioners, and in mufassal public bodies are consulted through Excise Officers.

70. No. Generally consumed duty-free by all classes of people.