Drug Abuse

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

I have the honour to forward copy of the inquiries made by the Magistrates, etc., into the previous history of each of the patients admitted to the Lahore Lunatic Asylum in 1892, whose insanity was ascribed to hemp drugs, with my brief notes thereupon, as called for in your No. 149 of t6th October 1893.

1.—Kadir Baksh.

Kadir Baksh, a man of 25, is said to have been a user of hemp in the forms of bhang and charas, and some of his fellow-villagers say he used opium also. There is no other cause of his lunacy even hinted at by any of the persons who inquired into his case. He was eleven months in the Asylum, and was discharged improved. He has remained well since his discharge on the 14.th January 1893.

It appears to be a case in which the use of hemp drugs really caused insanity in a man not predisposed to it. The case was one of toxic mania.

LAHORE ;    W. COATES, M.D., The 31st Yanuary 1894.    Superintendent, Lunatic Asylum.

In the case of Kadir Baksh, son of Makhna-Merasi, resident of Yalalpur Batthian, the history is as follows:—

This man admits having been used to bhang, but denies ever having smoked charas ; his statement is not to be relied on. There is no doubt that he was insane and that the insanity was due to the use of hemp drugs of one sort or another, more likely to be charas than bhang. He denies having ever taken opium or smoking it. The man was discharged -from the Asylum at Lahore on 17th January 1893. He is now perfectly sane.

The father, when examined, upheld the son's statement that he used bhang, but not charas.

The father is not addicted to any intoxicating drugs.

Enclosures to your letter under reply are returned.

GUJRANWALA ;    R. CROSSLEY, The 26th 7anuary 1894.    Civil Surgeon.

Tahsildar's report on the previous history and cause of insanity of the (late) lunatic Kadir Baksh, son of Makhna, of7alalpur Batthian, Tahsil Hafszabad.

I examined the late lunatic Kadir Baksh, his father Makhna, as well as Lambardars of Jalalpur Batthian. Kadir Baksh, who is at present perfectly sane, stated that he was ad-dicted to the use of bhang, but denied having ever used charas or opium ; his father, Makh-na, upheld his statement, and further stated that none of his relatives ever used intoxicating drugs. But the Lambardars of the village, who had no concern whatever, asserted that Kadir Baksh was in the habit of taking opium and smoking charas in addition to the use of bhang, and that they ascribed his lunacy as the result of these drugs.

I am also of opinion that the mere indulgence in these drugs is proved to be the cause of Kadir Baksh's insanity. He says Kadir Baksh and his father, through fear or somehow or other, have not disclosed the truth.

2.—Mana Singh.

In the case of Mana Singh the cause of insanity seems to be indulgence in bhang-drinking. From Dr. Mulroney's report, however, it is seen that his mind and temper were in youth uncertain and unstable, so that it may be that the use of bhang was only the exciting cause and acted on a brain already predisposed to disease.

The man is still in the Asylum, and his case is one of mania pure and simple. I regard him as a patient that is most unlikely to recover. I am inclined to call the case one of heredity.

LAHORE ;    W. COATES, m,D., The 31st Yanuary 1894.    Superintendent, Lunatic Asylum.

From enquiries the following facts relating to past history of Mana Singh, son of Golab Singh, of village Dhotian, Thana Sirhali, were obtained from Sunder Singh, son of Khuta Singh, and Lal Singh, son of Buta Singh, and Sarup Singh, son of Ram Singh. Lal Singh's father and Mana Singh's father were cousins from the father's side, and Sarup Singh is head Lambardar of Mana Singh's village. The latter also is distantly related to Mana Singh and has known Mana Singh from infancy.

Sunder Singh's father was brother to Mana Singh's father, and his mother was sister to Mana Singh's mother. He and the others affirm that none of his relatives, as far as his recollection carries hiin back, were ever of unsound mind or touched in the head in any way. He and the others affirm that they were children together with Mana Singh, and grew up together to manhood in the same village. They did not notice any pecu-liarity in Mana Singh's manner during boyhood, nor was he excitable or given to out-bursts of temper.

He was noticed particularly to be of a mild quiet and timid disposition. His mind up to enlisting in the 29th Punjab Infantry, 15 years ago, was perfectly sound. His father was Subadar in the 29th Punjab Infantry. He went with his regiment under his father to the Afghan War in 1878 and returned to Agra in 1880. While in service he became insane and was treated regimentally. A short while after he recovered his sanity and continued well till his return to Agra, when he obtained leave for three months. A few days after his return to his home he became raving mad, for which he was treated by a hakim. Three weeks after he broke loose from confinement and joined a fakir's establish-ment at Tallagung. It seems his regiment was stationed at Tallagung before going on service in 1878, where Mana Singh became acquainted with this fakir, and at that time his father, who was a Subadar in the regiment, noticed that Mana Singh was going to the bad, and had taken to bhang drinking at the fakir's place.

The father always ascribed his son's altered manner and attacks of temporary un-soundness of mind to indulgence in bhang drinking. He was two years in service, where he could not indulge so freely or so often in bhang, and only suffered once from unsound-ness of mind. On his return to India in 188o he took to bhang drinking again, and on his return to his village on leave in 188o he indulged in it pretty freely, and was a con-stant visitor at the different fakir's houses in his own village and in the villages round about, where he freely indulged in bhang drinking. A month after his return home he became insane, and has remained so ever since. Neither his father nor any of his relatives have ever indulged in Cannabis indica (bhang).

BHUGWAN DAS, Magistrate, 1st class, Amritsar District. T. R. MULRONEY, Surgeon-Major, Civil Surgeon, Amritsar.

3...Mahtab Din.

It appears from the statement of the only relative of this man that could be found that his lunacy was caused by indulgence in both alcohol and hemp (bhang), and that these were only used two or three months before the attack of lunacy came on. The information is indefinite, and it is impossible to say what share in the production of insanity should be attributed to each drug.

There is no history of madness in the man's family.

The attack was a short one ; he was only 14 days in the Asylum, but ever since his discharge he has been seen from time to time and is decidedly melancholic. The history, cause, and duration of the case are all very indefinite, and I think no deductions can be drawn from it for the purposes of this inquiry. The form of insanity remains doubtful.

LAHORE ;    W. COATES, M.D.,                    31st 7anuary t894.    Superintendent, Lunatic Asylum.

Abdus Suttar, a relative of Mahtab Din, who has been an inmate of the Lunatic Asylum in 1892, states that the man used to take sharab and charas two or three months before the attack of lunacy. One day he took a large quantity of sharab and also smoked charas more than usual. The charas affected his brain, and he became lunatic. He used force in order to go out. He liked solitude. His father or mother never had an attack of lunacy. His parents had to put him in chains for one day. He did no injury to any-body nor abused any one ; occasionally used to talk at random : never committed nor attempted to commit incendiarism. He liked to remain silent. Deponent cannot say whether he had a melancholic temper ; never refused eating and drinking. Never remained naked nor ever been subject to epilepsy ; never received any injury to his head ; only once had an attack of lunacy; never had it afterwards. He is now in the habit of keeping his head and eyes downward ; has given up the habit of inhaling charas. He per-forms his household work as usual. His father never took opium or any kind of intoxicat-ing things.

The man (lunatic) still keeps his eyes fixed downward, and he does not lift his eyes until required to do so specially.

LAHORE ;    F. S. JAMALDIN, KHAN BAHADUR, 18th December 1193.    Magistrate, 1st class,. Lahore District.

4.—Maula Dad, 25 years.

This man was admitted to the Lunatic Asylum apparently in the last stage of exhaus-tion from mania and diarrhcea and died a week after admission.

The only witness that was found to tell anything of his history stated that he was not a consumer of bhang, charas, or opium.

There is no proof that he was, and it is impossible to say what grounds there were for attributing his insanity to bhang. I cannot even guess what form of insanity was present.

LAHORE ;    W. COATES, M.D., 31st January 1894.    Superintendent, Lunatic Asylum.

Report of Tahsildar, Wasirabad, regarding the late lunatic Maula Dad.

Khawajdin, Lambardar of Nalerke, stated that Maula Dad was never a lunatic ; three years ago he left his village and provided a home for himself with his father-in-law in Pipli, a village in Tahsil Daska, District Sialkote. Maula Dad and his father, Mubarik, were in the habit of smoking tobacco, but they never used bhang or charas or opium. They never suffered from tobacco. The Lambardar stated that no other person bearing such a name and parentage than this was a resident of his village.

5.—Somirgir.

No information could be got about this case by the Magistrate deputed to inquire. From the information supplied when he was first sent to the Asylum and some gleaned otherwise it seems that he was a religious mendicant and smoked charas largely.                   

He was admitted in August x892 and discharged cured in March 1893—eight months' detention. He has remained sane ever since and is said to be at Hardwar at present.

His lunacy may have been due to hemp, but this is by no means certain ; religious excitement may have produced it, partly at all events.

LAHORE ;    W. COATES, M.D., 3rst January z894.    Superintendent, Lunatic Asylum,

Somirgir is stated to have left Lahore some time ago and his whereabouts are not known.

LAHORE ;    F. S. JAMALDIN, KHAN BAHADUR, 18th December r893.    Magistrate, rst class, Lahore District.

6.—Mohna, Hindu, aged 28.

Was discharged cured from the Lunatic Asylum in May 1893 ; he himself gives a very clear account of his illness and attributes it entirely to charas smoking.

There is no family history of insanity and it seems clear that the charas was the cause of the illness.

The man is now said to be quite sane.

A case of toxic insanity.

LAHORE ;    W. COATES, M.D.,
31st January 1894.    Superintendent, Lunatic Asylum.

Afohna, son of Narain Singh, Arora, late a lunatic in the Lahore Lunatic Asylum.

This man is now perfectly sane. He states that in 1886 he went to Rindli, in the Quetta district. While there, in consequence of the intense cold and watering of the eyes, he first began to take opium. He never exceeded half a pice worth, or 6 grains daily. He returned to his home in Wazirabad in i89i and remained there for a few months, when he went to Lahore. He suffered no inconvenience from taking opium.

While at Lahore, where he remained fcir two and a half months engaged in selling milk, curd, etc., he got into the habit of smoking charas, on which he spent half anna a day. Under the influence of charas he quite lost his senses and was admitted a lunatic in the Lahore Asylum on the 25th August 1892, and remained there until the 25th May 180, when he was discharged cured. He has not taken to the drug again, neither does he ta ke opium now.

His father being a Sikh did not smoke charas ; neither was he addicted to any other kind of drug.

His maternal uncle used bhang for to or :2 years, but did not suffer any inconveni-ence from its use ; he died from cholera in '892 on his way to or from Hardwar.

Tahsildar, of Wazirabad in the Gujranwala District. R. CROSSLEY,16th January 1894.    Civil Surgeon, Gujranwala.

7.—Tehl Shah, Suthra Fakir.

His insanity seems to be distinctly traceable to indulgence in narcotic drugs—opium and hemp both as bhang and charas; he also had syphilis when he was about 25 years of age ; he is now about 35. His insanity began probably three years ago. Though hemp was probably the exciting cause of his insanity, it is impossible to say that other probable causes weie absent, and so the case is not of much use for the purposes of the Commis-ion's inquiry.

The man has remained sane since his discharge in May 1893 : probably a case of toxic insanity, the poisons being opium and Indian hemp.

LAHORE;    W. COATES, M.D.,                    31st 7anuary z894.    Superintendent, Lunatic Asylum.

Narain Das, a resident of Khem Karan, states that Tehl Shah, a resident of Phagwara, Jul'under district, came to Khem Karan some time ago, and used to drink bhang and smoke charas profusely. He became subject to a boil on leg- and was admitted in the hospital at Kasur, where he became insane and was sent to the Lunatic Asylum ; that ever since his return from Lahore he is all right in every respect.

Tehl Shah himself admits that he used to drink bhang, smoke charas, and take opium profusely, and one and a half years ago he became insane, as an effect of these, and that ever since his return from the Asylum he is in perfect senses. None of his parents had ever had an attack of insanity.

F. S. JAM ALDIN, 18th December 1893.    Magistrate, rst class, Lahore District.

8.—Mussamat Mooran, aged 40.

Said to be a prostitute and addicted to bhang ; was admitted to the Lunatic Asylum in September 1892 and discharged cured in Is,lay 1893. There are other possible causes for her insanity, vth., grief and a hard life, but on the whole the evidence seems to point to the use of hemp as the real cause of the insanity.

LAHORE ;    W. COATES, M.D                31st 7anuary 1894.    Superintendent, Lunatic Asylum.

Dated Shujabad, the 26th November 1893.

From—TIKRAN LAL, Extra Assistant Commissioner, Magistrate, ist class, To—A. MEREDITH, Esq., Deputy Commissioner, Mooltan.

IN accordance with your order of the z7th instant, I went to Shujabad on the 25th instant, and ma.de a local enquiry into the case of a lunatic called Mussamat Mooran.

2. From the statements of several persons who appeared before me and gave evi-dence, I find that Mussamat Mooran is originally a resident of village Giddarwala, Tahsil Allahabad, in the Bhawalpur State, and came and settled in Shujabad about 22 years ago. She was then in her sound health ; she lived at Shujabad as a prostitute for about five or six years and was addicted to drinking bhang and sometimes liquor. She gave birth to a male child during her residence at Shujabad, which died when it was six months old. Six months after the death of her child she left Shujabad, and nobody knows where she went, but she was seen by Muhammad Hayat, witness, at Mooltan one year after her departure from Shujabad. Muhammad Hayat says that even then she seemed to be of sound mind. After two or three years' absence from Shujabad she returned there as a lunatic. Nobody can precisely say from his personal knowledge that how and where she became insane. However, it is clear from the evidence that she was subject to fits of irritation while under the influence of bhang before her leaving Shujabad. I think that the evidence of Kadir Baksh is most reliable, because he was on most intimate terms with Mussamat Mooran and was with her for days and nights together, and consequently in a better position to observe her state of mind very closely. He also says that while under the influence of bhang she was sometimes very irritable and used to pick up quarrels for nothing and break her household utensils, but when without bhang she was never irritable.

From the evidence it is clear that opium is not the drug to which she was addicted, but the excessive use of bhang has, in my opinion, based upon the evidence before me, a great deal to do with the present malady, unless of course something. is found out to trace this disease to some hereditary causes.                   

Nobody here knows anything about her past family history or even her past personal history before she came to Shujabad, as she does not originally belong to this place. In my opinion it is necessary to ascertain her past family history from the place to which she originally belongs. Originally this could have been done through some official of the Ba-hawalpur State ; but as from the facts disclosed it appears that she belongs to Dadpotra race, it is possible that the people of that place may consider it as a disgrace even to own her as a resident of that place, so I think the enquiry might be best made through the Tahsildar of Shujabad, who could quietly make it in a couple of days.

3. I saw the woman ; she talks incoherently. All that I could elicit from her was that her mother's name was Rahmat Khatun, her father's name was Kaim Khan, and her parents were landed proprietors in Mouza Giddarwala, in the Bahawalpur State, which is 2 or 3 miles from Allahabad, and that she was enticed away by one Sabban Jhakhar and brought to Adamwahan by him when Adamwahan bridge was under construction, and from thence she came to Shujabad. Her ancestors were sane and lived in prosperity. She says that two daughters and one son were born to her when she was in her husband's house, and one son was born here. All of them died. Most of the above replies were rational and are corroborated by other evidence.

9.—Ida, a wandering pedlar.

The only relation of this man that was produced says he did not drink, nor, as far as she knew, use hemp in any form.

It appears that the only ground for the statement that he did smoke charas and drink bhang was his own confession.

His brother is said by his mother to have been an epileptic and died in a Lunatic Asy-lum. From this it appears that while it is by no means certain that the man used hemp, it is certain that there was a family tendency to unsoundness of mind.

The man's own statement that he used hemp drugs I regard as of no value. A lunatic often answers a leading question in the affirmative without much regard to the facts of the case, and when asking a patient about his case the questions put are almost always leading questions.

The form of insanity is doubtful.

LAHORE ;    W. COATES, M.D.,  31 January 1894.    Superintendent, Lunatic Asylum.

The mother of Ida, late lunatic, named Mussamat Bhagan, states that about two years ago Ida was found, contrary to his habits, laughing exceedingly and fearing also. She took him to a native physician, who told her that Ida had become subject to melancholia on account of heat (garmi) and dryness (khuski), and that cooling medicines should be admi-nistered to him. Blood was also taken from his arm. He never drank sharab nor inhaled charas. His brother was subject to epilepsy, who had died in the Lunatic Asylum. None of the family of Ida had ever been subject to lunacy. Ida had become very timid, and used to talk at random while subject to the fit of lunacy. Ida was being tied with his turban whenever he became more violent. He never committed incendiarism nor would he sing or dance.

The deponent cannot say whether he used to take bhang or not.

LAHORE ;    F. S. JAMALDIN, 18th-December 1893.    Magistrate, 1st class.

10.—Subhan.
Suhban, Mussalman, aged 4o, a wandering beggar, was admitted in September 1892 and discharged in February 1893 cured.

His brother gave evidence about him, and says he did not use hemp in any form while at home with him : however, but little trust can be put in his evidence, for the patient had been made over to him when discharged, and it is likely he would have considered himself culpable if he had allowed him to use bhang or charas. There is no family history of insanity. I do not think there is evidence enough to show what the cause of this case was.

LAHORE ;    W. COATES, m.D., 31st January 1894.    Superintendent, Lunatic Asylum.

Statement of Gufara Kashmiri.—I live in Kila Teja, in Batala Tahsil. My brother's name is Subhan. I don't know if he is alive. He is older than I am—about 4o years of age.

He was entrusted to me from the Lahore Lunatic Asylum last Cheyet. He was well then.

He has been mad before ; it was by God's will he became mad. He did not use bhang or charas while he was at home ; he became mad then. I don't know why.

I am the youngest of four brothers—Sultan Baksh, Juma, Subhan, and Gufara, all sons of Jaaral. Sultan Baksh and Juma are dead. I don't know where Subhan is now.

He remained with me for about a month, then he went to see a sister at Batala, who was ill ; then he didn't return. He was all right when he went there. None of our family uses bhang or charas.

Attested.

J. R. MACONACHIE, 16th December 1893.    Deputy Commissioner, Gurdaspur.

11.—Dullo, a man of 25.

From the evidence or rather from the deductions drawn from it by the Civil Surgeon, Gujranwala, it appears that this man was vicious and addicted to the use of hemp drugs from his childhood. There is no family history of insanity, so it is fair to attribute his to the use of the drugs.

LAHORE ;    W. COATES, M.D., 31st Yanuary 1894.    Superintendent, Lunatic Asylum.

In case of Dullo, son of Mya Das, Khatri, resident of Wazirahad, the following history is disclosed. Dullo while still a child got into the habit of smoking charas and madak. He led a wandering mendicant's life, stealing his mother's jewels and selling them for purpose of obtaining drugs, to which be became accustomed. After stripping his mother of all her property he took to begging and never set himself to honest work. The mother says she did not accustom her son to opium by giving him any when an infant. Dullo's father was in the habit of taking s.mall quantities of opium, which, however, did him no harm ; he was not addicted to charas or bhang.

Dullo was sent to the Lunatic Asylum in October 1892, and was discharged in May last. He is still silly though not insane.

He is now a prisoner in the Gujranwala Jail and is quiet and well behaved, but he cannot resist grinning when spoken to and doing silly things at times.

Tahsildar, of Wazirabad in the Gujranwala District. 16th January 1894.    R. CROSSLEY, Civil Surgeon, Gujranwala.

12.—Yinda Shah.

Jinda Shah, 25 years, a Mussalman beggar, admitted to Lunatic Asylum in Novem-ber 1892; died of diarrhcea in November i893. His brother gives a very clear history of the case, from which it appears that Jinda Shah was a confirmed user of Indian hemp in. the forms of charas and bhang since he was 18 years of age, i.e., six or seven years. There is no family history of any such habit nor of any nervous disease. The case is one in which the insanity is clearly traced to the use of hemp.

LAHORE ;    W. COATES, M.D., 31st 7anuary '894.    Superintendent, Lunatic Asylum.

In the Court of Rai Banarsi Das, Magistrate, 1st class, Dera Ismail Khan District.

Enquiry into the cause of insanity of one Jinda Shah, deceased.

Statement of Imam Shah, brother of 7inda Shah, deceased, on solemn affirmation.

Jinda Shah, deceased, was my own brother. We were three brothers, Jinda Shah being the youngest. Our elder brother, father, and mother died long ago, so there is no other near relative of jinda Shah now living. My father, mother, myself, and my elder brother never took any intoxicating drugs. We did not even smoke tobacco. Jinda Shah too up to the age of 18 years was not in the habit of taking any intoxicating drugs. He then associated himself with a fakir called Nur Shah, who was in the habit of using hemp drugs (bhang and charas), and who had been once sent to the Lunatic asylum at Lahore as a lunatic, but had been brought back by his brother after giving security for taking care of him. This Nur Shah is still alive, but is not in a fit state to answer any questions. We used to prevent Jinda Shah from going to Nur Shah, but he disobeyed us and went to him. After some time Jinda Shah fell into the habit of drinking the infusion of bhang as well as of smoking tobacco with Nur Shah. Soon after he left drinking the infusion of bhang and began to eat up the dregs of the bhang thrown away by men after taking out the infusion. He used to go about the streets, and wherever he found such dregs or refuse lying he used to take them up and to eat them without any regard to their quantity. After passing about 16 months in this state with Nur Shah, Jinda Shah became mad, and went about the streets naked, sometimes also assaulting people. He used to keep a wooden sword in his hand. In t892 he assaulted a constable and was sent up before the Magistrate for trial. Then as he was found to be a lunatic he was sent to the Lunatic Asylum, Lahore. Before going to Nur Shah, Jinda Shah was perfectly sane, and we therefore infer that his insanity was caused by eating up the dregs of the bhang in large quantities. Neither our father nor our mother nor any one else in our family was ever a lunatic.

IMAM SHAH. Examined by me.BANARSI DAS, Dated 2Ist November 1893.    Magistrate, 1st class.

Statement of Ghulam Hyder, lambardar of the Mohalla, on solemn affirmation.

I live in the same street in which the house of Jinda Shah, lunatic, and of his family is situated. My statement is the same as that of Imam Shah, brother of the deceased lunatic.

GHULAM HYDER, Witness. Examined by me. BANARSI DAS, The 21st November 1893.    Magistrate, 1st class, Dera Ismail Khan.

Copy of a letter No. 435 of 24th November 1893, from the Civil Surgeon, Dera Ismaa Khan, to Rai Banarsi Das, Magistrate, 1st class, at Dera Ismail Khan.

I beg to return you original letter No. 1652 with enclosures. It appears to me to be clear that Jinda Shah, lunatic, became insane from the excessive use of bhang and charas. I do not desire to further examine the witnesses Imam Shah and Ghulam Hyder, not expect-ing to elicit any further information.