24. Evidence of MR. W. R. BRIGHT, Deputy Commissioner of Palámau

1. I have been in charge of Excise, both as subordinate officer and district officer for some years past.

2. They are known as chipta (flat), gol (round), and chur (broken). The last is also locally known as " jatt."

3. I have seen quantities of wild bhang in the Bettiah sub-division, and have woe ganja of an inferior kind introduced from Nepal.

4. It is there called bhang.

6. The bhang grows very densely, especially near villages.

7. It is cultivated in Rajshahi, but I have never been there.

8 to 12. No information.

13. (a) Yes. To Rajshahi I believe.
(b) No information.
(c) There is no wild bhang in this district, which would seem to show that the climate is unsuited for it.

14. Vide answer above.

16. In the Bettiah sub-division it was usually reported that the people used the wild bhang as a medicine for cattle.

18. These drugs deteriorate by keeping, and quite lose their effect in time.
They will keep with care up to about two years. Damp _affects them most injuriously. Deterioration can be prevented by keeping the drugs in
boxes in dry properly-built godowns.

19. Charas is not used in this district. Ganja is generally used for smoking, but it is sometimes used as a medicine in cases of diarrhea and also, r am informed, in itch complaint.

20. I cannot give the proportions ; all classes seem to smoke ganja except precise Muhammadans.

21. In this district chipta and chur are most consumed. The ganja-smekers whom I have questioned say they prefer the chur.

22. The ordinary Rajshahi ganja is used.

23. Not so far as I can ascertain.

24. All classes except rigid Muhammadans drink bhang without restriction of locality.

25. It is on the increase in this district.

I cannot give any sufficient reason. Increase of population has no doubt something to do with it.

26. I cannot give this.

27. Bhang is drunk as a sherbet by all classes. Ganja is consumed a good deal by the agricultural classes after their day's work, but is also consumed by the richer men. The former use it to do away with fatigue, the latter for their own pleasure, and also For the satisfaction of their carnal desires, as it increases or is said to increase retentive power.

28. (a) A habitual moderate consumer takes one or two or three chillums a day of ganja and about four annas weight of bhang.
(b) I was told of habitual consumers who took ten to twelve chillums a day but the case seemed unusual.
Bhang, they told me, was consumed up to one-eighth of a helm seer (i.e., rather more than a pukka chattak) a day. A chillum of ganja took two rattis weight. Ganja is sold at R20 a pukka seer, bhang at 111-8 a kacha seer.

29. Ganja is generally used by itself, but is sometimes used with tobacco leaves. Bhang is usually mixed with other ingredients. The chief ingredients are sonf, kasm, kira seeds, dhania, golmirrich, loung (cloves), elaichi, khurfa seeds. Gur is sometimes used with it, and sometimes milk by people who have to sing. Dhatura is said to be occasionally used to make the mixture very strong.

30. Ganja is usually smoked alone, but bhang is consumed in company. The male sex are the most usual consumers. It is not usual for children to use either of these drugs, but I have no doubt some do so.

31. The habit of ganja-smoking is very difficult to break off, but I am told that bhang has no such effect. From what I learnt from ganjasmokers, their consumption is only limited by their purse.

32. The higher orders of Hindus in Bengal almost universally use bhang at the Bijaya Dasami festival, but the practice is said not to be generally observed in Behar.

33. The use of ganja is certainly looked upon as a fault in a man's character, and the question whether a witness consumes ganja' is often asked with a view to discredit a man. This does not seem to be the case with bhang. This dislike of ganja-smokers has nothing religious about it, but is attributed to the idea that ganja-smokers are idle, hot-tempered, useless fellows.
In Bengal, and also I am informed in some places here, quantities of aanja are given as an offering to Mahadev on the night of the Shiv Chatardashi.

34. It would be a serious privation to the habitual ganja-smokers to give up the drug, as it is a habit very difficult to break.

35. The use of bhang could not be prohibited, as it would be, I think, impracticable to extirpate the wild plant. If ganja production were prohibited, no doubt there would be smuggling from the Native States, e.g., Nepal. I hardly think ganja consumption can he prohibited, though I dislike the drug particularly. I should much rather see the price increased and their consumption automatically checked. The prohibition would no doubt be followed by recourse to other intoxicants, probably alcoholic.

36. I have no information.

37. I have no knowledge of charas.

38. Not, if they are of the same quality.

39. Not known.

40. Both ganja and bhang are used by the Ayurvedic school of medicine for their medicinal qualities. Bhang is used as a medicine for cattle, but I do not know for what particular form of disease.

41. (a) Bbang is said to be astringent.
(b) Yes, both gauja and bhang are ustd for the purpose.
(c) This is said to be the case.
Many of the higher classes in Behar use bhang as a household medicine. The labouring classes habitually use it to alleviate fatigue.

42. This is a question more for a medical expert.

43. Yes.

44. It is said to be refreshing. Yes, ganja produces intoxication, and so does bhang. Ganja is said to allay hunger, and bliang to create appetite. The ganja-smokers whom I question* d said that the intoxication of bluing lasted from one to three hours according to the quantity. The aftereffects are headache sometimes and giddiness. The want of subsequent gratification does certainly produce longing or uneasiness in the case of habitual ganja-smokers.

45. (b) Ganja apparently does. (e) Yes.
(d) Dysentery and bronchitis.
(e) It is said to do this.
(f) It is said to deaden the intellect, but not to produce insanity.

46. The habitual excessive use of ganja certainly causes temporary insanity sometimes. 1
have myself seen two cases attributable to this cause, one when I was Deputy Commissioner of the Sonthal Parganas, and one lately in the jail here. In the latter case, which is fresh in my memory, a man was sent to jail for observation as a lunatic. The Civil Medical Officer describes him as "always after ganja-would not even take food, and was very insolent and dangerous." After being kept for less than a week in jail, he entirely recovered, and I released bim. He was an habitual and confirmed ganja-smoker. The former case was one of a respectable clerk, who had twice got fits of temporary insanity which was attributed to excessive ganja-smoking, if I remember rightly.

47. No.

49. I am informed by the Civil Medical Officer that it (ganja I believe) is so used by prostitutes. He says that owing to the effects which it produces, it overstrains the system, causes early debility and brings on temporary impotence.

50. The same authority informs me that it is not used excessively as an aphrodisiac, but that people who consume it excessively ale usually impotent.

51 and 52. I have no information.

53. The Civil Medical Officer informs me that he has heard of cases of temporary homicidal frenzy amongst excessive ganja-smokers.

54. No information.

55. I have not met with a case.

56. Admixture with dhatnra is said to be dangerous.

57. No information.

58. I think the system is as good a one as could be devised.

62. It would not be feasible I think as the plant grows wild in profusion in some districts.

63. As long as ganja and bbang are consumed I have no objection to the present system of wholesale and retail vend,

64. No.

65. I would like to see ganja certainly more heavily taxed. For two pice a man can get intoxicated on ganja, when it will cost him even in this district one-and-a half to two aunas to get intoxicated on alcohol. I regard intoxication from ganja as infinitely more deleterious than intoxication from alcohol, and would certainly like to see ganja more heavily taxed. Bhang is a more difficult question, as it is so easily prepared from the wild plant.

66. There should be different rates of taxation, as a great part of the weight of cbipta consists of the weight of the stalk, and this is also the case with gol, though to a much smaller extent.

67. No; except that the taxation of ganja is not high enough.

68. Yes. There aie several shops licensed for the sale of both ganja and bhang in this district.

69. Shops are not opened in places to which the people object, and if any objection were raised, I should certainly change the site. But as the shops are only for the sale and not for the consumption of the article, they would not be objectionable to neighbours. New shops are opened only where there is a real necessity.

70. Some small amount of ganja used to be smuggled across from Nepal into Bettiah subdivision. I know nothing of the Nepalese excise system.