Medicine - Drugs > Report of the Indian Hemp Drugs Commission, 1894-1895 > Volume II
(127) Volume 2, Page 124
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124 REPORT OF THE INDIAN HEMP DRUGS COMMISSION, 1893-94. [APP.
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 January 1894. 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 Jinda Shah, deceased, on solemn affirmation.
Jinda Shah, deceased, was my own brother. We were three brothers, Jinda Shahbeing 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 1892 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 21st 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 Ismail
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.
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| India Papers > Medicine - Drugs > Report of the Indian Hemp Drugs Commission, 1894-1895 > Volume II > (127) Volume 2, Page 124 |
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| Permanent URL | https://digital.nls.uk/74551564 |
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| Description | Lahore Lunatic Asylum, cont. |
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| Description | Volume 2: Appendices. Enquiry as to the connection between hemp drugs and insanity. |
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| Description | Report is based on research conducted August 1893-August 1894. The Commission interviewed nearly 2000 witnesses from medical officers to missionaries in 30 cities across India. Covers in detail the effect of hemp drugs (‘ganja’) on physical, mental and moral wellbeing. |
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| Shelfmark | IP/DA.1 |
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| Description | The Drugs collection consists of 9 volumes from British India, dating from 1867 to 1903. Extensive research on hemp and opium usage, cultivation of cinchona trees and reports from Nilgiris plantation. Includes medicinal plants. Chloroform anaesthesia research described plus clinical trials and debates on its safety. |
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| Description | The India Papers collection contains publications of the central (Imperial) Government and many Indian states. Most states came under British rule. Much of the collection dates from between the post-Mutiny re-organisation of the Indian Government and Indian Independence in 1947. Some items published in London by John Murray. |
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| Shelfmark | India Papers |
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