26. Evidence of MR. L. P. SHIRRES, Magistrate and Collector of Midnapur.

1. Deputy Collector, Sub-Divisional Officer, and Collector in several districts ; Junior Secretary to the Board of Revenue ; Under-Secretary to the Government of Bengal in the Excise Department; Under-Secretary to the Government of India, Excise Department.

2. Yes ; ganja ganjika, turitananda, bora- tamak, sul fa, andsuka-tamak.

3. The plant grows spontaneously in this district, but not abundantly. No doubt it might be easily cultivated, as a few cases occur of Kabirajes growing it illicitly for medicine.

4. See answer to question 2. The Cannabis saliva is the plant referred to.

5. The soil of this district is partly alluvial, partly laterite, and the plant grows on both. It is well known that the plant grows all along the Himalayas, in the uplands of Central Asia and all over India, although it is greatly affected by different conditions of climate. In the uplands the resin in which the narcotic principle resides exudes and is collected as charas ; in the plains, where cultivated, it is found in the virginal female blossom, and when allowed to run to seed in the plains, it is found in the leaves, whence it is extracted in the form of bhang. In the Excise Manual, however, Section X1X, paragraph 3, page 152, siddhi is defined as the dried leaves of both sexes, whether cultivated or uncultivated. The preceding statement is, I believe to be found in Babu Hem Chunder Key's report, the only book of reference on the subject until Dr. Prain's recent report. Considerable quantities of charas are imported into the Punjab and the North-Western Provinces from Samarcand and other places, and probably some of this finds its way into Bengal. But all the statistics relating to this will be before the Commission. It used to be cultivated in the Jessore district, but the cultivation there was given up many years ago ; I do not know for what reason ; and the cultivation in these provinces is now confined within a ring fence in Northern Bengal. Rajshahi used to export a large quantity to the North-Western Provinces, but the export has fallen off, as that province now gets its supplies from the Central Provinces, where it is more lightly taxed. It is believed to be cultivated in the Iributary States of Orissa, whence it is imported into Orissa under the name of Gurjat ganja. It is also, I believe, cultivated in Assam, and I have known good ganja smuggled into Noakhali from the neighbouring hill tracts, where it has apparently been grown. In Madras it appears to grow wild freely, but is not cultivated, taxed, nor consumed. That province consumes opium instead of ganja.

6. Scattered.

7. Not in this district (as above noted, a few plants are sometimes illicitly grown by Kabirajes).

8 to 10. I have no knowledge beyond what is to be found in published reports. There is no cultivation in this district.

11 and 12. So far as I know, there has been no such special selection in the case of ganja as has made the cultivated fruits of Europe different from the corresponding wild fruits. That there is a marked difference, however, between the cultivated and the uncultivated plant is clearly shown by the fact that the Excise authorities are able to tax the wild plant (siddhi) on an altegether different scale and to allow it to be freely circulated. Probably this is due as much to the soil being properly prepared and the plants allowed free room as to the removal of the male plants.

13. See above.

14, 15, 16. Ganja, charas, and bhang are imported and not made in this district ; that is to say, the dried leaf from which the decoction or infusion called bhang is made is imported. Bhang could be prepared from the leaves of the wild plant, and in fact, as will appear from the section of the Excise Manual quoted above, it ordinarily 18 80.

17. The consumers of bhang are chiefly men from up-country. It is also mixed with milk, spices, etc., and used as a medicine for dyspepsia. Charas is mixed with tobacco and smoked by a few of the well-to-do people. Ganja is used by the fishermen and the lower classes generally, partly, no doubt, because it is a less expensive habit than liquor or opium.

18. The drugs lose their narcotic properties, as ordinarily kept, in little more than a year. Genia is kept in tin-lined chests in dry golas, but the Board of Revenue are conducting experiments to see if it will keep better if hermetically sealed.

19. Yes.

20. See above. There is hardly any charas consumed in this district. The consumption of ganja is 71 maunds a year, which, if all Le taken by moderate habitual consumers, would supply about one in two thousand of the population.

21. Only round ganja is used in this district.

22. Foreign. Last year the charas used was imported from Amritsar. Eighteen seers were imported, of which seven were consumed and eleven re-exported. There are no habitual consumers. Seven seers would be enough for about fifty habitual moderate consumers in a year.

23. No.

24. bhang is largely used by up-country men, and a few Df the Bengali also use it.

25. Consumption of ganja here has increased by about 29 per cent. in the last ten years, probably at the expense of opium and liquor. The former has increased, but not commensurately with the population ; and though statistics for the latter are not available, there can be no doubt that there was a great decrease. Last year was a bad year, and the consumption of liquor fell by 19, while that of ganja increased by 6 per cent.

26. Generally from the lower classes of the people.

27. An habitual moderate consumer would take half a tola of ganja or siddhi and about six grains of charas. Excessive consumers would take more than twice as much.

28. Ganja is mixed with tobacco, charas with tobacco and molasses. With siddhi milk, spices, etc., are sometimes mixed to form what is called a " majum" numerous references to which will be found in the latter part of Baber's Memoirs. Dhatura is not mixed with charas, but is sometimes mixed with siddhi to make it more intoxicating.

30. Ganja and charas are consumed both in solitude and in company by adult males and public and low class women. Children do not consume it.

31. The habit is easily formed and difficult to break off. As to the development of the moderate into the excessive habit, it seems to me that if the fact had been realized that the oriental differs greatly from the inhabitant of Northern Europe in this respect as regards all nerve drugs, the Commission would never have been appointed. No doubt, this can be satisfactorily explained by the over-pressure to which we are subjected, but the fact remains that whatever form of stimulant the native of this country consumes he as a rule takes in moderation, and very, very rarely is mastered by the habit.

32. On the Bijaya day of the Durga Puja bhang is consumed as a rule by Bengalis of both sexes and of all ages. Its use is regarded as essential. The lower classes indulge in it to excess and the respectable classes take it in moderation. This is not likely to lead to the formation of the habit.

33. Ganja is for the most part used by the lower classes. To be a ganja smoker therefore is synonymous with being a "low caste man." If a man of a higher class smokes gauja he is looked down upon. But this, I think, is because he adopts a vulgar low caste custom. So might a taste for gin be regarded among the upper classes in England. Ganja lihs also got a very bad name, and is supposed to lead to madness, etc., just as, no doubt, many respectable persons in England associate gin-drinking with wife-beating and other brutal crimes. The belief, which is certainly "in the air," that ganja is very deleterious has in my opinion been largely fostered by, if it is not entirely due to, the fact that the bhadra lok of Bengal take opium and not ganja, and" compound for sins they are inclined to."

34. Ganja is never allowed in jails, and I have never heard of any evil resulting from the supply being cut off.

35. I do not think there would be the slightest difficulty in abolishing the use of ganja. For the (Yug to be consumed illicitly it must first be grown illicitly, and if simultaneous action were taken in Bengal, the Tributary Mahals of Orissa, the Central Provinces, Assam, and any other place, if there is any, where it is grown, this would be practically impossible. Here and there, no doubt, a few persons would grow a few plants for private consumption; but it would b3 impossible for any trade to be carried on, and this would soon cease. There would be serious discontent among the consumers, but this might be almost entirely obviated by preceding the abolition by a progressive increase of duty. The discontent would never amount to a political danger such as would be caused by the abolition of opium, which would set the whole country against us and probably lead to risings amongst the Sikhs.

36. In this district at any rate ganja is being substituted for alcohol, not alcohol for ganja. I think there is ample proof that the majority of men prefer to take some stimulant, and that the maximum of work cannot be obtained without it. There is also, I think, ample proof that the stimulant may take the place of another. The manner in which tea, coffee, and tobacco have taken the place of alcohol is a striking instance. An Excise map of India will also show that when one stimulant is not used another is, and I believe that the history of each individual district will show that when the consumption of one is restricted another takes its place.

37. The effect of charas is more transient.

38. There is no difference in kind, but the form which contains most ganja blossom contains most resin and is therefore the strongest.

39. Smoking is generally believed to be the most hurtful. Bhang, I have often heard it said, is, when taken in moderation, no more harmful than the tea taken by Europeans.

40. Bhang is used here as a cure for dyspepsia. I have known it used as a charm to cast the devil out of a lunatic. It proved unsuccessful.

41. (a) See above.
(b) It is used by people who undergo great exertion, but whether there is any causal connection between the two I cannot say.
(c) and (d) I do not know.

42. I should define immoderate use as one which was hurtful, and I should therefore answer this question in the affirmative.

43. They are not offensive because of their moderate consumption.

44. Refreshing. Not intoxicating.    Creates
appetite, but does not allay hunger.

45 to 50. I leave these questions to medical witnesses.

51. The proportion of habitual consumers among bad characters is comparatively small. These drugs are used by the lowest classes, and these classes, as in other countries, furnish the largest proportion of criminals. Whether there is any causal connection between the two I cannot say.

52. It is well known that different people under the influence of alcohol behave very differently. Some go to sleep and others fight. I presume it is the same with ganja. Bhang, however, is said when taken in excess to produce stupefaction, while ganja excites.

53. When I was in Backergunge, where I served for two years, persons charged with violent crime frequently came before me, and I used to enquire whether they took ganja. In many cases I found they did so, and it was not till some years afterwards that it struck me that I bad, for the reason stated above really no proof of any connection between the two.

54. They are said to be so used.

55. Yes; but complete stupefaction is not produced without admixture.

56. Spices, rose-leaf, sweets, milk, curd, and cucumber-seeds are mixed with bhang, the purpose, it is said, being to temperate the intoxicating effect. Dhatura is used by hard smokers to aggravate intoxication. A preparation known as thandai is sold, the ingredients of which are chiefly spices and cucumber-seeds.

57. Not is this district.

58 to 60. If it is proved that ganja is more hurtful than other stimulants, it should, I think, be abolished, otherwise I have no fault to find with the system. Personally, I cannot say whether it is worse or not. 1 am inclined to think that it is, but 1 do not feel at all certain.

65. In Bengal it is only recently that ganja has been so highly taxed, and it is still, as far as I can learn, the cheapest intoxicant. In the Central Provinces the tax used to be very light indeed (I think only Rs. 1-4-0). I do not know what it is now.

66. Yes, because the plant contains more leaves and twigs and the others more blossom.

67. No.