Report of the Superintendent, Lunatic Asylum, Delhi, on the hemp drug cases of .1892.

In reply to your No. 149, dated 16th October last, forwarding a copy of your No. 148, dated 16th October, to the Revenue Secretary to the Punjab Government, together with two copies of its enclosures, I have the honour to inform you that I have instituted very careful enquiries into the past and present history of each of the ten patients admitted into this asylum during the year 1892, whose insanity was attributed to hemp drugs, and I beg to give herewith the result of my enquiries.

For facility of reference I am returning one copy of the list of patients forwarded with your letter under reply.

Full and satisfactory information has been obtained in cases 1, 9, and io, and a copy of the reports in each of these cases is herewith forwarded for your information. I think there can be no doubt from a perusal of these reports that these three patients were typical and unmistakeable cases of toxic insanity due to the use of hemp drugs. Case No. I used to drink bhang in addition to smoking charas, while cases 9 and io only smoked charas. The last man, viz., Nand Lall, was sent to me by the Deputy Commissioner for examination in November last, i.e., about 5 months after his second discharge from the Asy-lum, and Iihad, therefore, the opportunity of cross-examining him very carefully myself. He was in the full possession all his faculties and was, in fact, a man of more than usual intelligence for a villager. His evidence, therefore, is particularly interesting. I remember this man very well on his first admission, to the Asylum. He was extremely noisy and abusive, absolutely incoherent in his speech, and could not be made to speak a single word of sense, tore up his clothes and insisted on going about absolutely naked, would not sleep, and was incessantly on the move. This was, as far as I am able to form an opinion, a typical case of toxic insanity due to charas-smoking and all the cases I have seen of insanity due to charas have been very similar to this one, though I cannot say that ther e are any symptoms peculiar to this form of toxic insanity. The man became rapidly better daily after his admission into the Asylum and was released 21 days afterwards apparently per-fectly sane. He returned to his usual avocation of grazing cattle and again fell in with the fakir, who, in the first place, induced him to smoke charas. He again took to smoking charas, and within a month was as insane as ever and was brought back to the Asylum. On his second admission his recovery to his senses was not quite so rapid, but he was practi-cally sane again if) weeks afterwards, but as his too early release on the first occasion was attended with such disastrous consequences it was thought advisable to detain him in the Asylum for some months. On his second release I particulary warned him against having anything to do with the fakir and he promised me he would never smoke charas again, and the result has been that the man has remained perfectly sane ever since.

Cases Nos. and 9 were both, as far as one can say, undoubtedly ty-pes of toxic in-sanity due to hemp drugs. Their symptoms were very similar to those of Nand Lall and they were both discharged quite cured from the Asylum, but from the enquiries made by the District Magistrates of Mozuffarnagar and Karnal, it appears that they have both taken to smoking charas again since their discharge and both were apparently more or less of unsound mind when last seen. The chances are that both these men, if they con-tinue to smoke charas, will sooner or later become insane again, their mental condition depending, I fancy, a good deal on the quantity of charas they can afford to smoke daily.

Case No. 2, Nath,' died in the Asylum of mitral disease of the heart i9 months after his admission. This man's previous history has been very carefully enquired into by the Deputy Commissioner of Jalandhar, and from the information obtainable, there seems to be no doubt that he was a confirmed smoker of both charas and ganja. He had been in-sane for 4 months on a previous occasion and was admitted into the Jalandhar Civil Hos-pital, where he was treated and cured. Six months afterwards he again became insane and was sent to this Asylum. The man's symptoms on first admission here were very like those of toxic insanity, but latterly the case became more like dementia. He used to sit apart from the other lunatics, seldom spoke and then only incoherently, had lost all sense of decency and for many montbs before his death his health was failing steadily as a result of heart disease. I think this was undoubtedly in the first place a case of toxic insanity due to charas and ganja-smoking, but, as is not uncommon in such cases, the man latterly became demented and had none of his original symptoms of toxic insanity.

Case No. 3, Hari Ram,' who was sent to the Asylum by the Deputy Commissioner of Karnal, cannot now be found anywhere, nor can any of his relations be traced either in Karnal or in Patiala State, where he was supposed to reside.

Case No. 4, Narain Singh,' who was a police constable, and was sent to the Asylum by the Deputy Commissioner, Delhi, was really a resident of Ludhiana. The Deputy Commissioner of the latter district, after careful enquiries, ascertained that the man, when at home, had never been in the habit of using hemp drugs in any form, and had never before been insane. This man, whom I remember well, was undoubtedly suffering from acute mania, and there was never any suspicion that the case was one of toxic insanity, but in the register the alleged cause was entered as bhang ' by the Deputy Superintendent, for reasons I cannot explain.

Case No. 5, Charata,' has been seen and cross-examined since his discharge from the Asylum by the Assistant Commissioner of Rupar, and it has been ascertained both from him and from his brother-in-law that he had never used hemp in any form. It was, there—fore, correctly entered in the register of this Asylum as Mania,' though in the column of alleged cause bhang was entered by the Deputy Superintendent, because this was said to be the cause in the papers sent with the man to the Asylum.

Case No. 6 has been enquired into by the Deputy Commissioner of Hissar, who has ascertained that this man, Sheri,' had never used hemp or intoxicating drugs of any kind, and that the cause of insanity entered in his papers by the Hissar Police was an error. Ganja was entered in the register as the alleged cause, but the case was correctly entered after diagnosis as ' Mania.'

Case No. 7, Joseph Lalchand,' was, I think, undoubtedly one of toxic insanity due to the use of charas, and the entry made by the Deputy Superintendent of 'Mania ' in the register was wrong. This man not only admitted having regularly smoked charas, but there was corroborative evidence of the fact from some Baptist Missionaries who knew the man well. The symptoms too were those of toxic insanity. I regret to say no trace of this man can now be found.

Case No. 8 is still in the Asylum, but as he is unable to answer questions rationally, there is no use in cross-examining him. The Deputy Commissioner of Karnal has been trying to gather information about him from his relations, but up to date nothing has been ascertained. This case, I think, was correctly entered in the Asylum register as one of mania, and the case was erroneously included in Statement VI as toxic insanity. His symptoms are not those of toxic insanity, and the fact of the man having made no improve-ment whatever since he came into the Asylum more than a year ago is strong evidence against hemp having anything to do with his insanity.

Cases Nos. 9 and 0 have already been referred to.

It is as well for me to explain here that the Hemp Drug Commissioners, when they visited my Asylum in the hot vveather during my absence on privilege leave were misin-formed when they reported that no histories were kept up of any of the lunatics in this Asylum. It so happened that during the year 1892 several changes had taken place among the Deputy Superintendents of this Asylum and the man who took over charge from 1.‘lr. Bernard, the late Deputy Superintendent, had not been keeping up the histories properly and had also made several foolish mistakes in regard to the diagnosis of the cases by filling them up himself instead of consulting the Su perintendent first. It was during this man's short tenure of office that all the mistakes and discrepancies found by the Commis-sioners occurred, but since his transfer the histories, &c., are all kept up properly as they are done in other Asylums. It is most unfortunate, of course, that these mistakes should have occurred in those particular few cases about which the Commissioners were enquiring, and I am extremely sorry that they were overlooked by me till they were brought to my notice by the Commissioners. This Deputy Superintendent had been in the habit of re-turning the papers of all lunatics who were discharged or who died to the Magistrates who ordered their detention in the Asylum, hence the reason'of there being no papers forth-coming in regard to several of the cases about which the Commissioners wanted information.

Case No. I.—LUNATIC DAYA LALL.
1. What evidence is there to show that  the patient was addicted to the use of  hemp drugs ? 1. The evidence of Daya Lall's relatives as well as of his neighbours proves that he was addicted to the use of bhang and charas before his becoming insane.

2. In what form was the drug used, and how partaken of ? 2. In the beginning patient used only the pounded bhang moderately, but bye-and-bye he used it eicessively pounded and mixed With dhatura and also smoked charas.

3. How long had the man been given to using the drug and how long after first commencing the habit did he become insane? 3. The patient commenced the use of bhang in the 15th or 16th year of his age; and after using it and charas for about 15 or 16 years he became insane .

4. How many times had he been insane previous to the occasion of his admission into the Asylum ? 4. He had not been insane previous to the occasion of his admission into the Asylum.

5. What form did his mania assume be-fore admission in the Asylum ?5. In the beginning his mania assumed the form of a mild character ; the patient had left his house and was strolling about and sometimes it grew stronger and again resum-ed its former form, but did no injury to any body. In the end he became insane and was sent to the Asylum.

6. Has the patient used hemp in any form since his discharge from the Asylum, and has he shown any signs of mania again ? 6. Yes ; he has used drugs (bhang and charas) since his discharge from Asylum, sometimes moderately and sometimes exces-sively according to his means earned by begging. He is again not in his proper senses. Mania appears to have commenced, but in a very mild form at present.

7. What is the mental and physical condition of the patient at this moment ? 7. At this moment the physical condition is not in proper order, for sometimes he acts and speaks like a sensible man, at others he talks foolishly, but does no injury to others.

8. Had the patient ever shown any signs of insanity or mental weakness before using hemp in some form? 8. No ; patient had never shown any sign of insanity or mental weakness before using hemp.

9. With what object did the patient first commence to use the drug, for the pleasure of it or for the medicinal effects produced ? If the latter, for what ail-ment was the drug used ? 9. The patient first commenced to use the drug only for its pleasure and not with any motive or for medicinal effect.

10. Did the patient find the moderate use -of the drug act as an aphrodisiac or the reverse ? Does he consider the habitual use of hemp tends to cause impotency ? 10. Owing to the patient not being in his proper senses, he is unable to give any reply to this question.

Case No. 9.—LUNATIC ADHAN.

1. What evidence is there to show that the patient was addicted to the use of hemp drugs? 1. Two persons named Ajudhia and Sahai of Karnal, neighbours of Adhan, depose that the patient was addicted to the use of charas.

2. In what. form was the drug used and how partaken of ? 2. Used to smoke charas in a chilam twice or thrice a day.

3. How long had the man been given to using the drug, and how long after first commencing the habit did he become insane ? 3. For five or six years. He first became insane after one year's use ; was treated and cured, but took to the habit again. Four years after he again became insane, and was then sent to the Delhi Asylum, where he was treated and cured.

4. How many times had he been insane previous to the occasion of his admission into the asylum ? 4. Once before for five months.

5. What form did his mania assume before admission in the Asylum ? 5. Before his admis:sion into the Asylum he was entirely insane, was in the habit of running about naked and using abusive language, and had to be tied up in order to keep him in one place.

6. Has the patient used hemp in any form since his discharge from the Asylum and has he shown any signs of mania again ? 6. Was discharged from the Asylum about eight months ago; uses charas occasionally, which, though heating to the brain, has not yet produced any signs of insanity.

7. What is the mental and physical con-dition of the patient at this moment ? 7. Is emaciated in body and weak in brain.

8. Had the patient ever shown any signs of insanity or mental weakness be-fore using hemp in some form ? 8. Showed no signs of insanity before using charas, and was in good bodily condition.

9. With what object did the patient first commence to use the drug, for the pleasure of it or for the medicinal effects produced? If the latter, for what ailment was the drug used ? 9. For pleasure and not for any medicinal effects.

10.Did the patient find the moderate use of the drug act as an aphrodisiac or the reverse? Does he consider the habitual use of hemp tends to cause impotency.? 10.The use of charas was at first pleasing to the patient, but its habitual use is stated to have led to impotency.

Case No. 10.—LUNATIC NAND LALL.

1. What evidence is there to show that the patient was addicted to use of hemp drug ? 1. He states that about five years prior to his becoming insane he had been in the habit of smoking charas mixed with tobacco twice a day.

2. In what form was the drug used and how partaken of? 2. He says he used to put a piece of charas, the size of a grain of gram, in a chillum and smoked it in turns with his companions.

3. How long had the man been given to using the drug and how long after first commencing the habit did he become insane ? 3. See above.

4. How many times has he been insane previous to the occasion of his admission into the Asylum? 4. States that he had never been insane before taking to using charas.

5. What form did his mania assume be-fore admission in the Asylum. 5. He was in a state of acute violent mania when admitted into the Asylum, was very noisy and abusive, refused to wear any clothing, and destroyed it when given to him, and it was impossible to get any rational answers out of him on any subject. He was twice admitted into the Asylum. On first oc-casion he was only about a month in the Asylum and was then released cured.

6. Has the patient used hemp in any form since his discharge from the Asylum, and has he shown any signs of mania again ? 6. He says he returned to his usual avo-cation of grazing cattle and began smoking charas again, and in 20 days he was brought back with acute mania. He says there was a fakir whom he used to meet at a tank, where he was in the habit of watering his cattle, and it was this fakir who first persuad-ed him to smoke charas. On his release the first time he again met this fakir and was persuaded by him to resume the habit. The second time he came into the Asylum he was equally violent and remained more or less insane for about zo weeks. It was not thought advisable, however, to release him for some time after he had regained his sen-ses, so he was kept in the Asylum for lo months and then discharged quite cured.

7. What is the mental and physical con-dition of the patient at this moment? 7. On appearing before me today (No-vember z5th, 1893, having been sent by the Deputy Commissioner) he is perfectly ration-al and as sane as a man can be, and gives a full account of himself without hesitation. He is in good bodily health and is a well-made powerful man. Since the second release he has never been near the fakir again and has never smoked charas. He met the fakir once and told him of the injury he had done him by inducing him to smoke charas, and the fakir advised him to keep away from him in future, vvhich he has done. He has given up his former occupation of grazing cattle, and now follows the plough.

8. Had the patient ever shown any signs of insanity or mental weakness before using hemp in some form?8. No.

9. With what object did the patient first commence to use the drug, for the pleasure of it or for the medicinal effects produced? If the latter, for what ailment was the drug used ?9. He says he only took to smoking charas, because the fakir and others did so, i.e., for society's sake and not because of any pleasur-able effects it produced.

10. Did the patient find the moderate use of the drug act as an aphrodisiac or the reverse ? Does he consider the habi-tual use of hemp tends to cause impotency ? 10. He found the use of charas act as an aphrodisiac, and when he was using it he became almost impotent. His sexual passions have now fully returned.