Drug Abuse

Report by Surgeon-Major    W Evans, Acting Superintendent, Government Lunatic Asylum, Madras, on the Hemp Drugs cases of 1892 (No. 343, dated 8tir, May 1894)

I have the honour, in reply to your letter No. 264, dated 2rst January 1894, to for-ward herewith the further information obtained and the papers sent by the various Magis-trates.

2. Out of 17 cases replies have been received in 12 up to date.

3 Of these 12, as regards cases Nos. 5, 8, 9, ro, 14, and 15 no' further information could be obtained as relatives could not be found or aquaintances who could speak to the men's habits. Cases 3, r r, 12, and 13 seem to have been men who used ganja. Cases 6 and 7 appear to have been entered as caused by ganja without much enquiry, and evidence collected points strongly against their insanity having been caused by ganja.

4. I regret the delay, but one of the cases was only received yesterday, and in all the others there has been much delay.

Report of the further inquiry in the Madras Asylum cases of 1892

1. Kamal Sahib.—This man cannot be traced. The Gooty Deputy Magistrate, who sent him to the Asylum, cannot say where he came from.

2. Mustan Saheb.—No further information available.

3. Tanikachellum —This man's brother, a clerk in the High Court at Madras, states he was not addicted to ganja, but may have smoked it with friends. The police report from other relatives corroborates the abcve statement.

[Note.—The papers being perused show that the brothers of this lunatic were examin-ed by Sub-Inspector Ryan, who reports that they stated that " there has never been any-thing like insanity in the family before. That Tanikachellum is a very steady man, and that they never knew him to take ganja. He was not even to their knowledge in the habit of taking liquors or smoking. They say that he became very morose owing to his not getting an appointment; and to this preying on his mind they attribute his becoming insane. They can attribute no other cause. He has been living with them since his release on 2oth June 1893, and has been all right since his retutn. He is not given to the use of ganja even now**. They do not think that ganja had anything to do with his insanity." The elder brother's statement, referred to by the Superintendent, was separately recorded. He said : " Nly younger brother went with friends to Trivellore, and returned out of his mind. He was not addicted to ganja or drink. He may have indulged with his friends and exposed himself to the sun and weather, and hence his condition **. When he went to Trivellore he had a large quantity of hair,on his head and face as he had made a vow. While in Trivellore he had himself cleanly shaved, and perhaps exposed himself to the sun and led a dissipated life. As far as I know he was not a ganja-smoker."]

4. Sheikh Hussain.— The Acting Head Assistant • Magistrate, Penukonda (Anantapur), reports.

I have examined the wife of this indiN idual as well as her brother as to his previous history, and the following persons as to the question whether he was addicted to smoking ganja

1. Allagappa Modaliar, with whom the lunatic was for a year as Minor Irrigation Lascar.

2. (a) Peddabi, present Duffadar of the Head Assistant Collector's office.
(b) Peru Saib, attender : who were in the same office when the lunatic was taluk peon and afterwards the Head Assistant Collector's peon.

The result of my enquiry is as follows :—

Previous history of the ease (general and family).—Sheikh Hussain, Musalman, of the Sheikh sect, lived with a brother at Bangalore from his twelfth year. Enlisted in 1879 as a sepoy, served in Afghanistan, obtained a medal for that service, and took his dis-charge (voluntarily) in 1883. By the order of discharge he was then about 24 years of age. Subsequently he married the sister of a Jagirdar, who bore him four children, one of whom has died by- an accident ; the rest are alive and well. I have seen two of them, and they seem to be in perfect health. Sheikh Hussain's brother, father, and mother are all dead, so that unfortunately there is no possibility of ascertaining his early habits. Nor is it practicable to find out what sort of habits he formed during his three or four years' service as a sepoy.

According to his wife and her brother, Sheikh Hussain was quiet and well-behaved ; not known to be addicted to smoking ganja ; at times drank toddy, which, however, did not make him noisy and quarrelsome; he was never known to go out of his mind, or be strange in his manner until about a month before he went to Anantapur (that is, 189o, when he killed the man). Just before going to Anantapur his conduct became queer ; he gave away his things to strangers (goshais): did not sleep well ; and finally went off to Anantapur (with the Head Assistant Collector) without change of c lothes, &c.

The duffadar and the acting attender of this office both speak to Sheikh Hussain be-ing addicted to smoking ganja. The former states that he only knew of this habit from the time Sheikh Hussain became peon of this office, but fancied that he had taken it pre-viously.

The same witness says that for a month or so before the journey to Anantapur, Sheikh Hussain took ganja very heavily indeed, and the attender's evidence, while not going quite so far, shows that at Anantapur Sheikh Hussain seemed to live on ganja and raw Bengal gram rather than on proper meals. The acting attender also adds that Sheikh Hussain had contracted the habit of taking ganja, a year or so before he became peon, from goshais (the people to whom he gave away things according to his wife and the duffadar) and from a dhobie of Penukonda. The duffadar remembers that four months or so before Sheikh Hussain went to Anantapur, he (Sheikh Hussain) in a fit of (perhaps) mental alienation gave away vessels, etc., to goshais. The Irrigation Overseer (now pensioned), with whom Sheikh Hussain worked for about a year as lascar, states that he did not observe Sheikh Hus-sain taking ganja at any time while they were together. Sheikh Hussain seems to have been with the Overseer most of the day (up to 6 or 7 P.m.), and to have gone away to his own lodgings in the evening.

5. Moorthy Veeraswami.—No information obtainable.

6. Mania Sooryanarain.—No evidence of ganja beyond the statement of the late Civil Surgeon, Coconada. The man is now well and denies ever having used ganja. He and his relatives attribute the insanity to Beri-Beri.

[Note.—The papers show that no one can explain how Dr. Patch (late' Civil Surgeon Coconada) came to enter the words " said to be addicted to ganja smoking." The evi-dence recorded by the Magistrate is clear that the man never took ganja. The Acting Civil Surgeon also says : "The man appeared before me ; and when examined denied smoking ganja or eating opium. He attributed the lunacy he suffered from to the serious illness (evidently Beri-Beri from his description) in Burma. His cousin, who accompanied him, confirmed his statement."]

7. Pappa.—Godaveri Magistrate reports that there is no evidence of ganja beyond the cause of insanity entered by the Civil Surgeon, Coconada, who stated that he smoked ganja and drank bhang. The Jail warders, however, do not know on what authority the statement was made.

[Note.—The following letter (No. 124, dated Coconada, 2gth March 1894) from the Deputy Magistrate, to the District Magistrate, Godaveri, gives full details of this case.]

As directed in your reference No. Ioo, Magisterial, dated gth February 1894, I have held an enquiry into the case of the lunatic Pappa, and arrived at the conclusion that his insanity has no connection whatever with hemp drugs. The important living relatives of the lunatic have been examined by me in the presence of Surgeon-Captain W. C. Wickers, the present Civil Surgeon of Coconada, and not one of them says he ever used ganja ; the warders of the Jail in which he was detained, as also a constable who was on duty at the Jail, were examined, and they too deny that Pappa has ever even asked for ganja ; of course the use of the same during his detention in the Jail was out of the question as being against the rules ; the depositions given by these witnesses, nine in number, are enclosed.

• It seems to me that the only ground for classing his insanity as-" toxic " is the entry by Dr. Patch of the following sentence against item No. 8 in Appendix II relating to Pappa's case :—

" He is reported to smoke ganja and eat bhang."

It is not clear hol,v and wherefrom Dr. Patch got this information ; none of the per-sons examined by me and the Civil Surgeon, who were mostly the same as those whom Dr. Patch examined, appears to have given Dr. Patch this information ; a copy of the said Appendix II is enclosed. The notes made by Dr. Patch in the visiting book kept at the Sub-Jail do not also show that Dr. Patch had any reason to suspect that the lunatic Pappa consumed any hemp drug ; a copy of these notes is also enclosed.

The past family history of the lunatic has been ascertained, and nobody either on his father's side or on his mother's side ever used ganja or exhibitf:d insanity ever so little.

His father was a peon in the Pittapur Deputy Tahsildar's office for nearly forty years and died of natural causes at the good old age of seventy years ; his paternal grandfather was a peon in the Tanuku Taluq office and died at a good old age. His mother is alive still and is haleand healthy, though she is now sixty years old. His maternal grand father was a peon in the Coconada Deputy Tahsildar's office and died at an old age. Three of his sisters are now alive, and they have never exhibited any symptoms of insanity. He had no brothers, but he lost a sister about ten years ago ; she fell a victim to some dis-ease consequent on child-birth. Thus there has been no insanity in his family, and his insanity is unquestionably not a hereditary one.

With regard to his personal history, the deposition given by his mother contains a lot of information. It would appear therefrom that up to his twenty-third year or so he was quite sane, and that his insanity first appeared three years after his marriage. The first symptom observed was to talk incoherently, to complain of biliousness, to refuse to eat, and to run out into the fields. For two years after the appearance of this symptom, he was out of sorts, complaining of his system being heated and eating and drinking all those things which are calculated to cool his system. He was a gymnast, and used to eat mutton and other nutritious food in large quantities. On one occasion he ate a seer of chillies and quaffed a pint of gingelly oil, and jumped into the well in his house ; this appears to be the first time when he behaved in a manner dangerous to himself. It would appear that his mother and others fettered him for about six months after this event, and then sent him on to Rajahmundry for treatment, where, however, the Doctor who kept him under observation found that he was not insane and procured his discharge. This was in ago. It may be noted that by the time he got out of the Jail he was not as fat as before. In about a year afterwards, he again grew as fat as ever and became mad again, when he was handed over to the Deputy Tahsildar of Pittapur.

What took place afterwards is to be found in the letter  No. 5,* dated 9th January 1892, of my predecessor's, of which a copy is enclosed.

* This letter gives an interesting account of an atrocious murder of a Head Constable by this lunatic while in the Sub-jail.
The man's insanity is certainly not toxic ; it would seem to be due to over-eating and over-bloodedness in the system, which always made him court fight and behave as though he was the strongest man in the world and had no equal to him in strength on the face of the earth ; he was the winner in two to three very famous wrestling matches arranged by the late Raja of Pittapur, whose samstanum wrestler he was for some years.

It is a pity that Dr. Patch did not say where from he got his information about his being a ganja smoker and bhang eater, but, from what I have been able to gather in regard to this man, it seems to me that Dr. Patch was misinformed and misled.]

8. Ramaswami.—No information obtainable.

9. Nabi Saheb.—No additional information obtained.

10. Hari Mohanti.—No additional information obtained.

11. Kunji Kalappen.—The Tahsildar Magistrate of Charikal reports that Kunji Kalappen indulged largely in strong liquors, and in the early part of 1892 took ganja freely.

[Note.—The Tahsildar's report is as follows : " Kunji Kalappen is said to have been indulging too much in strong liquors, and he was also very licentious. In the early part of t89z a certain Embrandiri Brahman went to his house and initiated him in the secret of some mantroms. He also advised him to use ganja, which would, he said, facilitate con-centration of thought in practising the mantrom. Kunji Kalappen took up his advice and indulged freely in the use of ganja, which, together with the other two vices alluded to, rendered him insane **. The Civil Surgeon of Cannanore informs me that the above vices are sufficient to cause insanity."]

12. Mahadil Saheb.—The Assistant Surgeon, Bellary, states that he (Mahadil Saheb) had a craving for ganja. The younger brother also apparently states that the patient used ganja, although the statement is not clearly given as regards him, but more clearly as regards their father, who was also addicted to ganja. The Magistrate is, how-ever, of opinion that the man was not addicted to ganja but liquor.

[Note.—The statement of the younger brother, referred to by the Superintendent of the Asylum, is thus recorded : " Their father was also addicted to ganja-smoking for several years **. Mahadil Saheb never indulged in ganja smoking any time." The Magistrate's report contains an accurate summary of the evidence. It is as follows :—

* This word "also " is erased by a line run through it ; but it has apparently led to the Superintendent's remark.

In reply to your proceedings No. 224, dated r 6th February 1894, I beg to report as follows, after consultation with the District Surgeon, regarding the past personal and family history of the lunatic Mahadil Saheb of Canel Bazar.

2. On the 25th of February 1894 three of the relatives of the lunatic, viz., r, Jarrudin, brother of Mahadil Saheb ; 2, Sherifma, mother ; 3, Katuma, his wife, were examined.

3. It would appear from their statements that the lunatic's father was addicted to the use of ganja, and that he lived till he was go years old. The lunatic's mother is now about 80 years old, and says that neitlaer her parents nor the parents of her husband were insane at any time during their lives.

Mahadil's father, though used to ganja-smoking, was never insane.

It would appear that the lunatic Mahadil Saheb had three sisters and three brothers. Of the sisters, one, that died eight years ago, aged about 45, had suffered from symptoms of either hysteria or insanity, which came on after her delivery. This lasted about three months, after which she was all right. Neither this woman nor his other sisters and brothers were ganja smokers ; none of them were confirmed lunatics.

4. It would appear from the copies of the certificates which accompanied him to the Lunatic Asylum that the probable cause of his lunacy was stated to be the use of bhang. But from the evidence collected it would appear that Mahadil Saheb was not addicted to the use of ganja or bhang. It is stated by the lunatic's wife that he was occasionally using liquor.

5. On the 27th February 1894 Ramatanie Pillay, Abkari Contractor, who knew the lunatic for the last 15 years, was examined. He states that in his opinion the cause of Mahadirs lunacy is his misfortune and contracted circumstances rather than to ganja smoking, as he was not addicted to that habit to the best of his knowledge and belief.

6. Gopala Tunei Nayudu, Head Clerk of the District Jail, speaks to an admission made by the lunatic when he was in Jail to the effect that he used ganja freely, and says that he learnt from his neighbours at Canel Baza.r that he was addicted to that drug. His evidence is hearsay, and the lunatic's admission cannot be relied upon as it is sup-posed to have been made when he was an insane in the Jail.

7. Five more persons who personally knew the lunatic were examined by me at Canel Bazar, whose evidence goes for the most part in corroboratian of that recorded from the relatives of the lunatic. It seems to be clear that Mahadil Saheb was not addicted to ganja smoking and that the cause of his insanity has not been clearly established.]

13. Coopen.—His nephew says he lived by begging, and about two or three years ago he began smoking ganja and eating majum. He also stated that " he also used to drink toddy and arrack." The police report corroborates the above, but his brother states it was some four or five years ago that he took to ganja.

[Note.—The brother's statement is as follows : " It is only two or three years ago Coopen became mad. He got into the habit of ,smoking-ganja and eating majum. He also used to drink toddy and arrack. His first symptoms of madness were fits **. When he got these fits he used to fall down, and he used to foam at the mouth. The fits used to last only for a very short time. Afterwards he used to become violent. In this state he would continue for four or five days and then he would recover ; and the same sort of fits and madness used to repeat itself on almost every new-moon day.'']

14. Tadiya.—No additional information obtained. Supposed to be a man down from the Central Provinces.

15. Dona Papada,—No additional information obtained.

16 & 17.—Reply not received.

(Sd.) J. W, EVANS, Surgeon-Major, Acting Superintendent, Government Lunatic Asylum.

OOTACAMUND ; October 6th, 7893.

DEAR DOCTOR WARDEN,

I think it better to wait till I reach Madras (October loth) before sending in remarks on your list of hemp drugs cases in the Madras Lunatic Asylum.

To begin with, I must assure myself that the cause * has been entered in my own handwriting. The statements of medical officers, medical subordinates, and magistrates as to cause are usually untrustworthy, and are generally second-hand, from relations, who will say, for example, that the new moon is a cause—I believe the Western belief is the full moon. My own experience in the Asylum was that I had to discard as much as possible the cause assigned in the admission papers, and to try and find out for myself, and to put down the cause only when I felt I had reasonable cause for so doing.

* Of insanity.

Even commissioned medical officers, not to mention apothecaries and medical sub-ordinates, who send many cases, know little of insanity, and seldom realize how often mere privation is a cause.

As to Toxic insanity, my view, founded on a good deal of practical experience at home and in Madras, is that you might just as well talk of Financial or of Hungry insanity. A man or woman has mania, melancholia (a form of mania), or dementia, the result of the puerperal state, pecuniary losses, fright, alcohol, ganja, epilepsy, privation, etc. I don't mean that chronic dementia is the direct result ; mania or melancholia as a rule intervening between the cause and the demand state. I presume that the idea is that toxic insanity has features peculiar to itself, just as puerperal mania has, in pervert-ed affection, homicidal or suicidal tendency and obscenity. But, after all, even this latter (puerperal mania) is not sufficiently differeat from ordinary mania to deserve a separate place.

It may be somewhat curable ; so are lots of cases of acute mania. It may recur with the puerperal state ; so do lots of cases of mania on recurrence of the cause.

As for the symptoms, perverted affection, suicidal and homicidal tendencies are common enough in cases of mania ; and the obscenity, common enough in mania in both sexes, is only remarkable as often occurring in the case of refined or religious women, who then use language one can hardly believe they have ever heard.

Yours sincerely,
S. L. DOBIE.

6. Madula Sooryanarain did not die of cholera, but was discharged cured, July 2/st, 1893.

S. L. DOBIE.

Dated Camp, Madras, 2oth October 1893. From—S. L. DOBIE, Esq., Principal Medical Storekeeper,

To—THE HEMP DRUGS COMMISSION.

In returning a list of hemp drug cases admitted into the Madras Lunatic Asylum in 1892, I have the honour to state that I am responsible for the entry of the cause—as ganja—in the first fourteen cases. In no case have I entered it as a catise without such evidence as led me to a reasonable belief that it was so. I have not accepted the mere statements of ganja being a cause as entered in the admission papers any more than I have accepted the statements made by relations to the effect that the new moon is a cause of insanity. Cases 15, 16, 17 were admitted after I left the Asylum.

The only case which calls for comment is that of Kunji Kalappen, as found yester-day, in reading his case, that his servant finally acknowledged that he took ganja during three months before his admission, and that after taking it he often laughed strangely, and that he had none for one or two or three days before admission.

The two following are more important cases : Kunnaye Pillai (criminal), admitted 37st May 1886, cause unknown, who has often been discovered in possession of ganja in the Asylum and Jail. In association with these discoveries the man has been noisy and excited on a sufficient number of occasions to make it reasonable to believe that the ganj a was a cause of the excitement ; and the same may be said of Ragaven (criminal), admitted 8th May 1889.

In conclusion, I have the honour to state that I have communicated to Dr. Warden my reasons for not returning cases of insanity due to ganja under the heading of " Toxic insanity. "