Medicine - Drugs > Report of the Indian Hemp Drugs Commission, 1894-1895 > Volume I
(297) Page 263
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CH. XIII.] REPORT OF THE INDIAN HEMP DRUGS COMMISSION, 1893-94. 263
view. In the second case
(No. 80), Mr. Sinclair seems to be doubly mistaken.
In the first place, the Magistrate acquitted the accused because it
was not
proved that he had committed the acts constituting the alleged
offence, and,
in the second place, the man's insanity was attributed to other
causes than ganja.
The last case (No. 81)
was given by Colonel Humfrey, Inspector-General of
Police, Bombay. Colonel Humfrey was engaged in the arrest of the
sepoy in
this case; yet his recollection of the facts was not quite
accurate, and led him
to make the connection between the crime and bhang closer than it
really was.
He did not, however, actually attribute the crime to the drug. The
judgment
of the High Court is very clear, and shows that the murderous use
of his rifle by
this sepoy was deliberately planned, was due to revengeful feelings
against the
policeman, and was not due to the influence of bhang.
Results of the
examination of
these cases.
551. Of these
twenty-three cases then, the records in not less than
eighteen
show that the crimes cannot
be connected with
hemp drugs. There is one case on which doubt
is thrown by subsequent discoveries. The connection between hemp
drugs
and crime is only established in the remaining four. It is
astonishing to find
how defective and misleading are the recollections which many
witnesses retain
even of cases with which they have had special opportunities of
being well
acquainted. It is instructive to see how preconceived notions based
on rumour
and tradition tend to preserve the impression of certain
particulars, while the
impressions of far more important features of the case are
completely forgotten.
In some cases these preconceived notions seem to prevail to distort
the incident
altogether and to create a picture in the mind of the witness quite
different
from the recorded facts. Some of the witnesses whose memories have
thus failed
them are men who might have been expected to be careful and
accurate.
Their failure must tend to increase the distrust with which similar
evidence,
which there has been no opportunity of testing, must be
received.
Summary of conclusions
regard-
ing effects.
552. The Commission have
now examined all the evidence before them
regarding the effects
attributed to hemp drugs. It will
be well to summarize briefly the conclusions to which
they come. It has been clearly established that the occasional use
of hemp
in moderate doses may be beneficial; but this use may be regarded
as medicinal
in character. It is rather to the popular and common use of the
drugs that the
Commission will now confine their attention. It is convenient to
consider the
effects separately as affecting the physical, mental, or moral
nature. In regard to
the physical effects, the Commission have come to the conclusion
that the moderate
use of hemp drugs is practically attended by no evil results at
all. There may be
exceptional cases in which, owing to idiosyncracies of
constitution, the drugs in
even moderate use may be injurious. There is probably nothing the
use of which
may not possibly be injurious in cases of exceptional intolerance.
There are also
many cases where in tracts with a specially malarious climate, or
in circumstances
of hard work and exposure, the people attribute beneficial effects
to the habitual
moderate use of these drugs; and there is evidence to show that the
popular
impression may have some basis in fact. Speaking generally, the
Commission
are of opinion that the moderate use of hemp drugs appears to cause
no
appreciable physical injury of any kind. The excessive use does
cause injury.
As in the case of other intoxicants, excessive use tends to weaken
the constitu-
tion and to render the consumer more susceptible to disease. In
respect to the
particular diseases which according to a considerable number of
witnesses
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Description | Chapter XIII, cont. |
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Description | [Volume 1]: Report. |
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