Report on the further inquiry into the Hemp Drug cases of 1892 for the Dallunda Asylum.

Report on the further inquiry into the Hemp Drug cases of 1892 for the Dallunda Asylum.

Hindu, aged 30 years. Admitted into the Dallunda Lunatic Asylum on the 23rd January 7892. At the time of admission was in bad physical health and suffering from fever (probably malarial—temperature on admission 1 ow 2° F. soon passed off). His state of mind before his arrest is not very clearly described, but in his Descriptive Roll it is noted that "for the past year he has been called 'thucker,' or insane, by his fellow-servants, has been subject to sudden fits of passion." It is further stated that he had been addicted to the use of ganja for one year previous to the commission of the crime for which he was arrested. On the night of the 6th January 1892 he attacked Kurrim Singh, a fellow-servant, with a knife, killed him, and then wounded two other men. From the 6th to the 22nd January he was confined in jail. I saw him on his admission to the Presidency Jail, and he was then sane and quiet ; he became depressed and melancholy and was certified as insane and unfit to stand his trial. He was never excited while in the Jail, and the opinion given by the Police Surgeon on the 15th January that " he is a mono-maniac of a homicidal type " was founded on his outburst on the night of the 6th January. That outburst of passion I regard as one of those periods of excitement which occur at one time or another in most cases of melancholia. Ganja was not accepted by the Police Surgeon or by the Chief Presidency Magistrate as the cause of Matabadal Goala's insanity, and the cause was said to be unknown. On admission to the Dallunda Asylum he had certain delusions, believing that Justice Chunder Madhub Ghose wished him to be killed ; he denied all knowledge of the crime of which he was accused. He was always quiet and much depressed during 1892 ; incoherent, but ate and slept well. He worked at the oil-mill and in the garden, and was never regarded as a dangerous lunatic. In February 1893 he was slightly excited for two days (22nd to 24th) and refused to work; he did not attempt any act of violence. Since July 1893 he has been more cheerful and more rational, answering questions and asking to be sent for trial. This month he will be brought before the visitors, and if found sufficiently sane will be sent before the Magistrate.

I am of opinion that this man was always of weak mind and probably of melancholic habit. This neurotic tendency may have been increased and made manifest by the use of an intoxicating drug such as ganja, but this drug must be regarded as an exciting cause and not as the prime cause of Matabadal Goala's insanity. The main reason for not regarding this as a pure case of ganja insanity is the length of time it has lasted and the continuous depressed condition long after the period during which he is said to have 'used ganja—a drug the effects of which I think pass off rapidly.

J. H. T. W.       
7anuary 19th, 1894.

The previous history of this man is given in the following extracts from a letter written by Mr. A. M. Mackertich, Deputy Magistrate of Midnapore :—" Rudra Narayan Bhattacharjee's history is rather interesting and not without adventure . He was born in the village of Ujan, conterminous with Akna, where he lived from his infancy for eight years. At this age his father died, and as he had transferred all his land by sale during his lifetime, his widow was left without any means of livelihood. She therefore thought it prudent to move into Bhagidandapur Kedar, her parentage, with her hopeful.

(3) Here they lived for a short time ; then the mother died. Rudra Narayan Bhattacharjee attracted the attention of his uncle Ram Tarok Siromoni, who became his guardian. I may add here that before Rudra Narayan left his native land he had received rudimentary education in Akna.                   

(4) Ram Tarok Siromoni kept him for a time and eventually brought his nephew to Shamchandpur in the house of a Goala, where his services were engaged as the family priest. He lived here for a short time and came into the town of Midnapur, earning a livelihood by doing Kalipuja wherever he was wanted.

(5) His uncle took him back when he was about 20 and married him to an infant girl 3 years old. It was settled that Rudra Narayan Bhattacharjee would live in the house of the bride as a ghor-jamai, but being for some years with Goala the vocation selected by his uncle did not suit the young man : he returned to the Goala and resumed his former duties. In this capacity he invariably went to Calcutta and back carrying merchandize, ghi and dohi. He tried to be independent and set up for himself a shop in Calcutta selling necklaces, etc., but finding it unprofitable he suddenly appeared in Bhagidandapur in his uncle's house and lived for a few days.

(6) Finding an opportunity he robbed his uncle of about Rs. 20o in cash and ran away. He was, however, detected by a Police Sub-Inspector near Salboni while paying Rs. i8 to the cartman he had engaged to carry him from Midnapur to Chandra. The Sub-Inspector, seeing this large payment, suspected foul play, took him into custody, and found Rs. 150 in cash on his person. He was sent up for trial, but in Midnapur he was let off on bail. One Mukhter Hari Mohun Mullick stood security for him and kept him in his house in a room. At night he escaped through a window and was not heard of for five or seven years, then all of a sudden he appeared in Akna as a full-grown sanyasi. He had his body covered over with ashes, wore a beard, and took up his abode in a small scrub jungle between the two villages Akna and Ujan. It is rather a secluded spot, yet in the vicinity of the above villages appertaining to the latter.

(7) His identity was soon known in the village and people began to be charitable to him. At first he refused to eat cooked food, but this wore out in time. He was put out considerably when sufficient pice could not be subscribed in the village for his ganja (some say that he used to smoke about ten to twelve pipes of ganja daily, while others reduce it to three).

(8) During his stay in Akna his wife and mother-in-law came to him, but he refused to see them. It is reported by the villagers that he invariably turned away his eyes from females. Immediately after the arrival of his wife and mother he gave out that he was going to a pilgrimage to Set bundo Ramesweir (South India), but returned shortly and gave out that he was unsuccessful in his adventure as he dreamt of his wife.

On this occasion he asked the villagers to bring his wife, but she could not be sent for, as a wave of fever was going over the village and some cases had been fatal. She could not be sent for for a fortnight. This interval Rudra Narayan Bhattacharjee spent in finding out the plots of land once held by his father. Through the persuasion of one Ayoddhya Chakrabutty he wrote out a deed of sale of a certain plot to Ayoddhya Chakrabutty, which. had been previously transferred by his father to one Muchiram Bhuttacharjee. When the new purchaser with Rudra Narayan came to take possession they were defeated, and on this night he set fire to about six houses, Muchiram's being one of the six.

After his arrest he represented that it had escaped him to close the doors from outside and set fire, as his object was to burn and kill the inmates who had opposed him in obtaining possession of his lands.

Before this he picked a quarrel with one Narain Dinda Koybarta, who had taken a cultivation lease of an area of two kattas previously held by Rudra Narayan's father from the malik of the plot. On this occasion also he attempted to set fire to his house but was prevented and tied up in the house for the day.

The only incoherent speech made by Rudra Narayan during his career as a sanyasi was a crusade against the payment of water-rate . He preached to the people against such payment, saying that it was illegal, and the person who came to make such demand was to be brought up before him. He asked the people to build battlements, and he would undertake war against the Queen-Empress of India."

This history does not throw much light upon the origin of the man's insanity, but it shows him to have been of a wandering, restless, and unsettled disposition, and I have no doubt that the mischievous desire to set fire to things was the outcome of feebleness of mind. As a sanyasi (most of them degraded and filthy rascals) he probably further in. jured his mental faculties by frequent intoxications with ganja, but I do not regard this as .a case of ganja insanity at all, although ganja is given as the cause in his Descriptive Roll.

Rudra Narayan Battacharjee, aged 32, was admitted into the Dallunda Lunatic Asylum on the 25th April 1892. His physical health was good. He had an uncertain expression and was depressed and melancholic ; at times quite coherent but variable. Admitted that he set fire to a house to annoy his relatives. He did not improve; and in December 1892 he was "incoherent and silly, quiet, harmless, and .clean." During 1892 he had been doing light work in the weaving shed, but one morning (January tith, 1893), he was found trying to secrete some lighted paper, and it was thought wise to remove him from the weaving shed. During 1893 the type of his insanity changed and he became demented. He was classed as dementia in September 1893.

At the present time he is demented, quiet, and harmless.

January 19th, r89.1.    J. H. T. W.

3. UTTUM SINGH alias CHAIT SWAMI.

(Toxic Mania ? Recurrent Mania ?)

Very little is known of this man's previous history and no reason is given for his dismissal from the Burma Police six months previous to his arrest. After his dismissal, we may presume that he was sane for a period of five months, but he is said to have been insane for a month previous to his arrest. It is not stated what form his insanity at first assumed. On the 21st of May 1892 he was arrested on the Cossipur Road, a very public place, because he was cutting the telegraph wires. On the 23rd May when brought before the Magistrate he was incoherent, boisterous, and appeared dangerous. He was reported to have been addicted to the use of ganja and bhang, but no cause was assigned for his insanity. The fit of excitement had passed off by the 14th July, when he was admitted into the Dallunda Lunatic Asylum, and the Acting Superintendent wrote as follows :—" I can see nothing in this man's appearance or manner suggestive of insanity ; says he became pagal temporarily, but is now all right." He continued quiet and sane up to the 8th August, when he was violent and aggressive. The excitement passed off towards the end of the month. When I first saw him on November 17th I wrote in the case book :—" Is improving, but silly and does not recognize the mischief that he did to the telegraph wires ; quiet, clean, and harmless." In December he was sane and remained sane up to the rith Febniary 1893, when he was discharged cured to stand his trial. He did not return to the asylum, so probably continues sane.
I do not think that this was a case of ganja insanity, but one of recurrent mania, cause unknown. Ganja was, I suppose, accepted as a probable cause of the outbreak in May, but certainly had nothing to do with the attack on the 8th August 1892.

January 19th, 1894.

4. SHAMA CHARAN KOR.
(Toxic Mania.)

Hindu, aged about 27, probably more ; physical health good; was admitted into the Dallunda Lunatic Asylum on the 24th of July 1892. The information which accompanied him was most meagre and, as I shall presently note, the descriptive roll was filled up in a most careless manner. The man was stated to have been addicted to ganja, but under the heading " Cause" (12) we find "not known " entered. The man set fire to his brother's house, and was arrested and brought before a Court. He was acquitted of "causing mischief by fire " on the grounds of insanity. The evidence, medical or other, on which this acquittal was based was not communicated to the asylum officers, and no certificate of insanity accompanied him to the asylum. •
On admission to the asylum the Superintendent wrote as follows :—" Nothing suggestive about the man's aspect or manner ; he answers questions intelligently and with perfect composure." He remained sane, and in January 1893 I recommended that he should be released and made over to his friends. He was discharged cured on the 31st of March 1893. I will now review briefly the information subsequently obtained through the Magistrate of Howrah. Going back in this man's life history for a period of fourteen years, we find, on the evidence of his brother and other persons, that after smoking ganja, probably in excess, for one year, Shama Charan Kor became insane. He remained insane for three years, but as it was not necessary to confine him, we may fairly suppose that he suffered only from a mild form of dementia. He recovered, and his brother appears to have weaned him from the ganja habit. Shama Charan Kor remained sane for eight years, at the end of which period he again took to ganja-smoking, and again his intellect became clouded, so that for two years he remained insane. He appears to have had some feeling that his brother was acting unfairly towards him in not allowing him to marry, and this so preyed on his already disordered faculties that in an excess of irritation and spite he set fire to his brother's house. He was arrested and his supply of ganja cut off. This deprivation, aided perhaps by the shock of finding:himself a prisoner, was followed by his recovering. He was arrested on the 11th November 1891, at which time he was, no doubt, insane ; but between that time and the 24th of July 1892, when he was sent to Dallunda, he had recovered his sanity. There is no suggestion of hereditary taint in this case, and I think the brother's statements point clearly to the conclusion that in this case insanity resulted from the use of hemp drugs ; it is to be regretted that we do not know exactly how much ganja was consumed. Possibly this is one of those cases in which a small amount of ganja, alcohol, or other stimulant will suffice to upset the nervous equilibrium. This is frequently a matter of individual idiosyncrasy. Shama Charan Kor, as will be seen from the accompanying notes and answers to questions, is now sane, and has ceased to use hemp drugs.

5. RAMLALL GOALA.
(1, Toxic Mania P 2, Chronic Mania.)

This man was a carter and supposed to be sane up to three months before his arrest. During those three months he appears to have been wandering about Calcutta ; he was abusive and threatening in his manner. The cause of his insanity was unknown, but *as he was a ganja-smoker, I suppose ganja was accepted as a probable cause failing any other. The history of the case after his admission does not bear out this supposition, and he has now after a long period of observation been classed among those suffering from chronic mania. In his _Descriptive Roll " loss of property " is given as a cause, but I have never been able to obtain evidence as to the possession of any property. His parents are said to have been free from insanity. He was arrested by the police in July 1892 on a charge of theft, but was found insane and incapable of making any defence.

Ramlall Goala, aged 28, was admitted into the Dallunda Asylum on the 3rd August :892. At the time of his arrest he "behaved in an eccentric manner, danced about, abused people, tore his clothes, and jabbered incessantly." --(Report of Presidency Magistrate), The Police Surgeon who examined him recorded as follows :—" Talks incoherently and .incessantly. Is very abusive, and abuses everybody around him without any cause ; does not sleep at night ; struck a prisoner in the Calcutta police lock-up." After his admission into the asylum it is recorded that his "appearance does not suggest insanity ; converses calmly and rationally ; admits he smoked a little ganja." On the 18th August he became very excited and has often been so since. He is never rational, abusive and threatening, but not dangerous. The last entry in 1893 is " variable, noisy, and abusive at times, but has never been actually violent or dangerous ; unfit for discharge."
* Note.—No ground is given for this remark. It is apparently based solely on the asylum papers.

I consider this to be a case of recurrent mania which has now become continuous and chronic. I do not think that ganja had anything to do with this man's mental disease.
january 20th, :894.    J. H. T. W.

6. GURU PARSHAD KARMOKAR.

(Toxic Mania.)

Two years before admission to the asylum this man had a brief attack of mania, during which he struck his brother with a lathi. He was not confined in an asylum and seems to have recovered, although it appears that he was frequently intoxicated with ganja, which he smoked habitually. On the 24th July Guru Parshad was breaking gas lamps in Bunniatolla Street. Some people interfered to stop him, when he struck out with a athi and stabbed a man with a file. He was arrested and examined by the Police Surgeon, who reported.as follows :—" Talks incoherently ; has the delusion that he communicates direct with God in dreams ; does not sleep at night."
He was not admitted into the Dallunda Asylum until the itth August 1892, and by that time the excitement seems to have passed off. He appeared about 3o years of age and was in fairly good physical health. On admission he was seen by Surgeon-Captain W. H. Pilgrim, who wrote in the case book :—" Nothing peculiar in aspect and talks quite coherently, but remembers that he had a fit of insanity some two years ago ; probably purely toxic from ganja, which he smokes habitually."
After observing him for two or three months I had no doubt as to his perfect sanity, and he was sent to stand his trial on the 3oth January 1893. He was acquitted on the grounds of insanity, and sent back to the asylum to undergo the usual probation as a criminal lunatic. He was perfectly sane on re-admission on the 18th February, and has remained sane ever since.
I regard this as a case of temporary insanity due to the abuse of hemp drugs. 7anuary aoth, :394.    J. H. T. W.

In addition to the notes of this case, which have already been sent to the Hemp Drugs Commission, the following information has been furnished by the Magistrate of Hooghly, who remarks that the information is practically valueless for the purpose of tracing .any connection between the insanity of the subject and the use of hemp drugs, as the man was a wanderer from some other district. Mihir Lal Dey was sane previous to his arrest by the police on the loth of May 1892. He was charged with stealing a basket of mangoes. When brought before the Magistrate he appeared to be insane and was kept under observation. He appears to have been brought up again on the 26th May, convicted, and sent to jail. While in jail it became evident that he was insane, and symptoms of mania were well marked. There is no evidence, other than the statement in his descriptive roll, that he was addicted to the abuse of ganja or wine, and even in the roll it is suggested that he had a hereditary tendency to insanity :—" 12. Cause.—Ascribed by the police to ganja-smoking and drunkenness ; more probably congenital." I have already stated that I think this man's insanity was due more to excess of alcohol than anything else, and the postmortem appearances showed that he was suffering from an acute disease.

8. NAFIR CHANDRA DEY.
(Toxic Mania.)

In the Descriptive Roll which was sent with this lunatic to the asylum it is stated that he had previously suffered from an attack of insanty two years before. That attack lasted five months. The attack for which he was admitted into the Dallunda Asylum in November 1892 had lasted six months, and was ascribed to " ganja and liquor from his boyhood." Further enquiries tend to confirm the belief that this was a case of "toxic insanity!' The Joint Magistrate of the 24-Pergannahs (January 1894) makes the following report:.... "As regards the lunatic No. 8 I have ascertained by local enquiries, on the 24th ultimo and 2nd instant, that he is an inhabitant of Chitla, Thana Alipore, of this district, and that he used to smoke ganja worth a pice daily, and subsequently, having been associated with others, indulged himself freely in the vice, and was also addicted to excessive drinking." " The chief cause of his insanity was the excessive use of ganja, and in this view the Civil Surgeon of the district also concurs with me." He was arrested on the 13th September 1892 as drunk and disorderly ; he was violent and struck a constable on the testicles with a stone. When brought before the Magistrate on the 14th he was restless and talkative. As he appeared insane he was remanded. He appeared before the Magistrate six times and was "more calm and not so talkative" during the later interviews. Under the orders of the local Government of Bengal Nafir Chandra Dey was admitted into Dallunda Asylum on the 5th November 1892. He was 27 years of age ; in fair health, but suffering from gonorrhcea. The first note in the case book is as follows :—November 7th.—" Answers questions fairly, rationally, and says he threw some dirt at the policeman because he struck him on the neck." Seemed to have some delusions concerning money that had been stolen three years before, and thought the police had some spite against him. He improved rapidly while in the asylum, and was discharged cured on the 25th January 1893.
I learn (January 1894) that " he is still residing at Chitla with his father, appears perfectly sane, and works as a brazier."
This seems to have been a case of ganja intoxication, but the man was also addicted to spirit-drinking and other vices.
7anuary 2151, 1894.    J. H. T. W.

Little is known of this than's previous history, and there is no means of knowing whether there was insanity in his family. The information given in the Descriptive Roll cannot be accepted as of any value if one is to judge from the answer given to question 8 :—" How long has the lunatic been insane"? Answer..—" About a year according to his own statement I" The man was a panda and combined the duties of priest, no doubt with those of a pilgrim tout. He led a debauched life and was addicted to the use of both ganja and siddhi. This is stated in his Descriptive Roll and was admitted by the man himself after he had recovered his reason. The cause given for his insanity is grief at the loss of a mistress, but I regard this as improbable. I think this was a true case of ganja-intoxtcalion. On the 4th June 1892 he was examined by Surgeon-Captain Harran at Dum-Dum, and this gentleman stated :—" The man has a wild expression. He is extremely restless, both mentally and physically, and is constantly talking in an incoherent and meaningless manner. He is evidently under some delusions, and suffers from paroxysmal maniacal excitement. He is a dangerous maniac."
Ramkissen Panda, aged 25, was admitted into the Dallunda Asylum on the 8th June 1892. His physical condition was fair. On admission he was noisy and sleepless, but most of the excitement above referred to had passed off. By August he had become much quieter, but was still incoherent. In September he improved considerably and wrote a letter to his friends ; he was quiet and almost quite coherent. He continued to improve under medical treatment, and in January 1893 was quite sane. He was kept in the asylum under observation until April 19th. He remained sane and was discharged cured.
We have no proof that this man had shown any signs of insanity previous to the maniacal outburst at Dum-Dum. We know that he used ganja and siddhi largely, and when removed from the influence of these drugs he recovered rapidly. Roughly speaking, the duration of his insanity was about six months.
January 19th, :894.    J. H. T. W,

This was practically a re-admission, as the man had previously been admitted into the asylum on three occasions before 1892.
He was first admitted on the 27th March 1884. He was noisy, violent, and incoherent, and his attack of mania was ascribed to ganja. He recovered and was sane on the 9th February 1885. He continued sane until the 9th of May in that year, when he had a relapse and again became "maniacal and refractory." He had got over this relapse by January the 8th, 1886, and was again sane and coherent ; there was a mild relapse in October 1886, when he was "restless, noisy, and incoherent," but not violent. He remained more or less insane until August 1887, when his mind again became clear. During the remainder of 1887 he continued sane, and in December of that year was discharged cured to the care of his friends. In March 1888 Lallji Das had an attack of mania and was arrested by the police for throwing stones at a gas-lamp. He was taken before the Magistrate, found to be insane, and sent to Dallunda. From this attack he quickly recovered, and was sane in May 1888. He continued sane and was discharged from the asylum on 22nd November 1888. He seems to have remained sane until 189o, but in May of that year he was again sent into the Dallunda Asylum with " mania, cause unknown, query fever ?" He recovered by December 1890, and in January 1891 he was discharged to stand his trial for some trivial offence.
On the 30th May 1892 Lallji Das was found wandering in the streets of Howrah, beating upon doors, and throwing stones, abusive and incoherent. He was taken up by the police and sent to the Dallunda Asylum as a wandering lunatic. He was said to be addicted to the use of ganja, but under the heading "cause " was entered " Not known." In the asylum his mental condition improved as on former occasions, and he was quite sane when discharged from the asylum in December 1893. I am able to state that this man has, since that date, been employed as a paid carpenter in the asylum. He continues sane [April 24th, 1894 ] and works well. He lives outside the asylum with the head carpenter, and does not indulge in ganja smoking.
In this case ganja can only at the most be considered as a possible exciting cause in some of his attacks ; but it cannot be connected in any way with the two relapses which occurred while Lallji Das was in the Dallunda Asylum between 1885 and 1888.
The evidence as to his use of hemp drugs is conflicting, but not, to my thinking, contradictory. Although both Jhansi Dass and Mangal say they had known Lallji Das for years, it does not necessarily follow that they both had him under observation—so to speak—at the same time. Jhansi Dass, too, says that he does not know where Lallji Das lived while in Howrah and while working for him, showing that his evidence as to Lallji Das's habits in private is not very valuable. Lallji Das, according to Mangal, was sane while working for him until a period at which he used to visit Jhansi Dass nearly every evening ; at this period Mangal says Lallji took to using hemp drugs. Jhansi Dass has admitted that he was a ganja-smoker, and it is not unlikely that Lallji Das acquired the ' ganja habit' during those evening visits above referred to. The evidence of Ramtarak Kundee also leads me to conclude that Lallji Das would probably have remained sane had he not fallen into the evil company of Jhansi Dass. There does not seem to be any hereditary taint in this case, but I consider Lallji, like thousands of other ignorant persons, to be unstable as regards his mental condition ; he might be thrown from his mental balance by hemp drugs, but other exciting causes would have the same effect.

This man was arrested in Bow Bazar Street on the 7th June 1892. He was excited, boisterous, talking incoherently, and assaulting persons passing along the road. In his Descriptive Roll the cause of his insanity is said to have been the use of chandu and ganja, to which he had been addicted for five or six years. The period of insanity previous to the outburst which led to his arrest is stated to have been four months. Ganja was accepted as the cause of Mongla's insanity on the history of his previous habits as reported by his brother and on the medical certificate given by the Police Surgeon. He was first taken to the Campbell Hospital and placed under the care of the Police Surgeon. In this gentleman's certificate occur the following notes :—" At times talks incoherently and has delusions, at time strikes those around him without provocation." He thought he was the king of Burma.
Mongla, aged 45, was admitted into the Dallunda Asylum on the 22nd of June 1892. He was in bad physical health, and the first note I made on his condition was as follows :"Says he has gone mad through magic ; speaks thickly and with a tremulous hesitation ; eats and sleeps well." He was fairly quiet up to the 15th July, when he became excited and aggressive, but the excitement passed off in about 24 hours. On the 28th July he was admitted to hospital suffering from dysentery, of which he died on the 22nd August. It is difficult to say exactly how much this case was the result of ganja. It seems to have been a case of ganja intoxication in a man in extremely bad physical health. The amount used might possibly not have had such a serious effect on Mongla, had he been in good health.
January 19th, 1894.    J. H. T. W.

Concerning this man no further information of value has been obtained. He was found wandering about in a village, Cawnpore, in the Hooghly district, of which he is not a native ; found to be insane and sent to the Dallunda Lunatic Asylum. In his descriptive roll we find the following remarks :—" I I. The lunatic has been previously addicted to ganja." " 12. Cause.—Probably ganja-smoking." The medical certificate which accompanied Balak Chutar to the asylum contains the following remarks :—" Typical facial expression of amentia. He cannot answer questions with regard to his history and relatives with any correctness, and becomes excited and incoherent on being so questioned : has delusions, especially with regard to his arrest by the police."
" Since being in jail [under observation only, not as a criminal] he has been of a morose and generally silent disposition. At times breaking out into attacks of excitement accompanied by incoherent mutterings. On being spoken to or asked questions he becomes irritated."
Balak Chutar, Hindu, aged about 30 years, in fairly good physical health, was admitted into the Dallunda Asylum on the 26th July 1892. He was incoherent, shifty, and uncertain, clean and quiet. Since he has been in the asylum he has improved a little, and the last note about him is—" April 5th, 1894: Seems to be still improving, tries to answer questions as to the locality of his home ; cannot give his father's name. Demented."
The type of his insanity has been changed to dementia ' in place of the original diagnosis (on insufficient information ?) of toxic mania.'
I cannot think that this man's insanity was in any way caused by hemp drugs. It appears to me to be the result of imperfect development.'

The Descriptive Roll sent with this man to Dallunda does not contain any information of value, and the following facts are taken from answers to questions which I submitted to the Magistrate of the 24-Pergannahs, Alipur. The man was reported to have been insane for five months previous to his arrest, and his relatives state that he had been addicted to the use of ganja for one year previous to his becoming insane. He was arrested on the 26th July 1892 at Porabazar, Bhawanipur, because he threw himself across the tramlines. He was violent at that time. He was placed under observation, and on the 13th August the Civil Surgeon of the 24-Pergannahs certified as to his insanity:--" Keeps himself naked ; is very filthy in his habits ; cannot answer questions rationally."
Fatteh Ram Singh, aged 30, was admitted into the Dallunda Asylum on the loth August 1892. He was in good physical health. He was excited, violent, and dirty. He improved under treatment with sulphonal, and in November I made the following note on his condition :—" Cleaner and sleeps better, but still quite incoherent ; inclined to throw off his clothes." He improved still further, and all the excitement, at first present, passed off. His friends being willing to take charge of him, he was discharged improved to their care on the 3rd December 1892. I have since learnt that he is living in his native village, Andherwana, in the Mozufferpur district, and that he is still insane and dirty, but not violent.
It is not possible to say whether this man 's insanity was due to ganja in the first place, but there is, I think, no doubt that ganja acted upon him injuriously, and was the exciting cause of the violent paroxysm which occured in July 5892. I am not informed as to whether he still uses hemp drugs in any fom.
January 21st, 1894.    J. H. T. W.

This man was the son of well-educated people and was a private patient in the Dallunda Asylum. His relatives reported that he had only been insane for 18 months, and they found it necessary to send him to an asylum to break him off his bad habits and because he was destructive and noisy at night. His father stated (certificate) that "his son Hari Mohan Chatterji is constantly smoking ganja and drinking wine, brandy, and bhang; that he tears his clothes and destroys his bedding, and is very noisy at night."
Hari Mohan Chatterji, aged 23, was admitted into the Dallunda Asylum on the 26th August 1892. His physical health was indifferent. The note in the case book is:—"Has a peculiar aspect, with a slight strabismus. On being questioned goes through an absurd pantomime and winds up by widely opening one eye with both hands and showing it to you ; is quite incoherent at present ; refused his food last night and was very noisy and excitable." He had improved considerably by November and was "quieter, but still dirty." In January 1893 he was quiet, cleaner, but not coherent and given to muttering. He improved further and became quite quiet and clean in habits. He had certain twitchings of the fingers and movements, somewhat like those of cholera at times. He was removed by his friends improved, on the 8th May. There is nothing further known about him.
This case seems to be one of toxic insanity, but it is not easy to say whether the ganja or alcohol was the most active agent in bringing on the disease.
January 21st, 1894.    J. H. T. W.

This case is interesting as showing how little reliance can be placed on information given in the Descriptive Rolls, sent to the asylum with lunatics arrested by the police and committed to an asylum under section IV of Act XXXVI of 5858. In his Descriptive Roll it is stated that his insanity was due to excessive ganja-smoking, and no mention is made of any previous attacks of insanity. Having made enquiries into this case through the Commissioner of Police, Calcutta, I am able to give the following facts concerning this man's case :—Chotu had suffered previously from occasional fits of insanity (dates not given). He was found ill and destitute in Collinga Bazar on the 2nd August 1892. He was taken to the Campbell Hospital, and found to be suffering from diarrhcea. On his recovery from the attack of diarrhcea signs of insanity appeared ; he "talked incoherently" and was at times violent and inclined to strike other patients in the hospital.
Chotu alias Motee, aged 20, and of indifferent physical health, was admitted into the Dallunda Asylum on the 1st September 1892. The 1st note in the case book is :—" Has an excited and unsettled look about his face, but talks fairly coherently, becoming abusive, at times "—September 12th. "Is now quite incoherent. Yesterday smeared himself over with tar." He improved rapidly during November and December, and on January 6th, 1893, I recorded as follows:—" Seems fairly sane to-day ; clean and quiet ; asks to be released." He remained sane and was discharged cured on the 8th February 1893. According to the man's statement and that of his brother Sookao Mali, he had never in. dulged in hemp drugs of any description. Is now (January 1894) working as a servant to Mr. Albert of no, Bow Bazar Street ; is living with his brother Sookao at Sibtallah Gully; is now perfectly sane.
There is nothing to shoW that hemp drugs had anything to do with this man's insanity, and the case illustrates the difficulties to which I have alluded in my evidence already submitted.
7anuary 21st, 1894.    J. H. T. W.

(Sane on admission to the Dallunda Asylum.)
In 1885 this man was a constable in the Port Blair Police. On the 26th August 1885 he was admitted to hospital " in an excited state ; eyes congested and pupils dilated." Was restless and wandered about. " He answered questions rationally, but talked to himself and made grimaces when alone." "The disease appears to be of a temporary nature and to have been induced by smoking ganja." He refused food ; was not violent, but was considered an unsafe man to be trusted with firearms, and was therefore discharged from the police in October 1885.
In April 1886 he enlisted in the Upper Burma Military Police, afterwards the 31st (6th Burma Battalion) Madras Light Infantry. His conduct was good, and his health appears to have been generally good. On the 7th September 1892 he was admitted into hospital at Shwebo " in a semi-delirious state." " He was very excited." " He was supposed to be under the influence of bhang and was admitted for toxic insanity." "He quieted down under treatment, but seemed vacant and depressed." Sometimes he was depressed, moping, and preoccupied, and at others somewhat excited. He was sent to the Dallunda Lunatic Asylum and admitted there on the loth November 1892. He was sane on admission, and said his insanity was due to sunstroke.
He was discharged from his regiment, and after remaining sane and quiet for some time was released on the 22nd January 1893. He is an inhabitant of Guzrat, and I do not know to whom to apply for further information.
It seems highly probable that both his attacks were due to the abuse of hemp drugs, to which he was evidently not accustomed as a habitue.

This man, a Hindu, aged 32, was admitted into the Dallunda Asylum on the 16th of November 1892. In his Descriptive Roll it is stated that his father was a lunatic ; no cause was assigned for the attack of insanity, nor was its duration noted. He was said to be a ganja smoker. In the evidence subsequently collected by the Deputy Magistrate of Midnapur (attached to this report) it is stated that he was not a ganja smoker, and the cause of his insanity is thought to have been sudden grief. No cause being ascribed in the papers sent to the asylum with 'the lunatic, the abuse of hemp drugs was accepted as possible. It is open to doubt whether such a belief was justified, and although the immediate and exciting cause of the attack of mania from which the man suffered may have been excessive use of hemp drugs, the case is not of much value one way or the other, as it is evident that the man had left his home and his friends and cannot have known what he was doing between the time of his departure and the time of his arrest. The man is stated to have been sane previous to the time of his arrest, but, as no dates are given, the evidence is not so valuable as it might have been. The remarks on the medical certificate which accompanied Poran Patro to the asylum are as follows :—" Incoherent, maniacal, dangerous to himself and others, restless, sleepless, very filthy. Very turbulent and aggressive, threw an empty bottle at a prisoner's head in the sub-jail." On admission he was "very violent and destructive; sleepless, but slept well after sulphonal, 3 grs. Incoherent, but seems pleased at the suggestion that he should have ganja and tobacco. Eyes very bloodshot ; scratches on face ; arms swollen from tying (?) ; two ulcers, one on each shoulder, also one ulcer on the left elbow." By the 7th December he had improved greatly, was quiet but somewhat dirty in habits. Treated with bromide of ammonium. In January he was clean, coherent, and anxious to return to his home.
From that time he remained quite sane and was discharged cured on the 22nd of March 1893. The duration of the actual symptoms of mania was about two months, and the recovery appears permanent, as he is stated to have remained sane and lived quietly in his home since his release from the asylum. I am inclined to suggest that this man may, on leaving his home after the death of his brother and his wife, have taken to ganja or other stimulant to assuage his grief. If, as stated, he was not previously addicted to hemp drugs the amount necessary to produce intoxication or insanity would be less in his case than in the case of one accustomed to use hemp drugs. We must not lose sight of the fact that he had a hereditary tendency to insanity ; and his absurd method of indulging in grief strengthens the belief that, his nervous system is not very robust. He is now apparently sane and works as an agricultural laborer.

(Sane on admission to the Dallunda Asylum.)
This man was a syce, and it is stated in his Descriptive Roll that he had had periodical attacks of insanity during the previous two years. He was known to be addicted to the use of ganja, but this was not given as the cause of his attack ; the cause was entered as "unknown." He was found wandering about the Chowringhee Road on the 22nd December 1892. He was shouting at the top of his voice ; he thought he was under some religious influence. It was ascertained from his brother, Sadaheo Chamar, and others that Mahadeo smoked ganja six or seven times a day. He was detained in the Campbell Hospital, where he appeared insane, " talking incoherently, being very violent ; demanding ganja." The intoxication with its maniacal excitement wore off quickly, for when seen by me at the Dallunda Asylum on the 27th December he appeared sane. The note in the case book is :—" Seems quite rational, quiet since admission ; slept well ; clean." He was a young man, 35 years of age, and in good physical health.
He continued sane and was released on the 19th of January 1893. This was undoubtedly a case of intoxication due to ganja alone or with other drugs.
I learn that he went to work as a coolie at the Bonded Warehouse No. I, Clive Street. He is quite sane, and has given up the use of hemp drugs as certified by Ruttan Chamar, with whom he lives, Kunchun Chamar, and others.
7 january 21st, 1894.    J. H. T. W.