307

tion, nor the fibre. Said to be cultivated to a
considerable extent on the hilly tracts of the
district, especially the Javadi hills and Patchai
Malai by the Malayalis. Also raised to a small
extent, chiefly for private use, down the plains,
in gardens. Plant is said to thrive better on
elevated tracts.

   8. If anything, the cultivation would appear
to be increasing. No particular reason is given.

   9. I could not obtain reliable information on
this point.

   10. The hill people that cultivate hemp on a
large scale are almost exclusively the Malayalis;
but this does not form their only occupation; in
fact, there is no special class of hemp cultivators.

   11. No; not in this district, as far as I could
gather.

   13. Cultivation not restricted in this district.
No special condition of climate, etc., seems neces-
sary for the cultivation; but elevation above sea
level is said to be very favourable for the growth.

   14. (a) Mostly ganja, in which form only it is
sold in the bazars, excluding, of course, other
preparations of it by hakims, etc., for general
sale. Prepared mostly on the hill tracts men-
tioned before, and to a very small extent by
private individuals on the plains.

   (b) Charas gathered to a small extent also on
the hills and exported.

   (c) Bhang not prepared by any body to any
extent for sale; but those of the consumers who
prefer this particular preparation have to make it
themselves, and this number is infinitesimal, I
am told.

   15. (A) Preparation for smoking is made from
ganja, mixed with minced tobacco, in different
proportions, according to the fancy of the smoker.
It must be noted that ganja is never used by
itself for smoking, but invariably with admixture
of tobacco—a fact perhaps not universally known.
Charas is also used for smoking but not in this
district at all.

   (B) For eating, a certain quantity of ganja
is soaked in water and washed, and is then ground
down fine together with sugar or sugarcandy,
poppy seeds, almonds, cocoanut milk, or cow's
milk, etc., and made into little balls and swallowed,
the quantity, of course, varying with the intensity
of the effect desired to be produced.

   (C) The preparation for drinking is really the
bhang, and is the same as above, only made
liquid by extra addition of water or milk. The
above described eating preparation is also indis-
criminately called bhang.

   16. Only prepared by the consumer himself.
But the number that use it is very small. Pre-
pared only from ganja of cultivated plant. I am
not able to tell whether ganja and charas can be
prepared from the wild plant.

   17. By lower classes of Hindus and Muham-
madans, about equal proportion in this district.

   18. Ganja does not keep good after five or six
months, being very subject to attacks of insects
after this period, and also quite loses its effect in
time. If saved from inroads of insects and
worms, ganja will keep good for a year at the
outside. No special measure seems to be taken
to prevent deterioration, except closing the mouths
of the containing vessels securely. Some vendors
are said to put some camphor or pepper seeds into
the pots to keep vermin out. Bhang is never
kept for any length of time, but always used then
and there, or if it is the eating bhang, only a
quantity sufficient for a few days is prepared by
the petty vendors. Nothing is known about the
keeping qualities of charas.

   19. Ganja is almost exclusively used for smoking.
Only a small minority use it to prepare bhang.

   20. Mostly used by low classes of Hindus and
Muhammadans; of the latter, notably the fakirs.
Charas is not at all used in this district. It is
difficult to ascertain what proportion of people
smoke ganja in the district; but I am informed
there may be about two or three thousand in the
town of Salem. Smoking is carried on in private
houses, and also in so called ganja dens, of which
there are two in Gogai, two in Salem, one in
Sevapett, and one in Ammapett.

   21. Only the flat kind of ganja is used here.

   23. No; not in Salem.

   24. Bhang is said to be used by an insignificant
number—say 1 in 200 at most.

   25. Use of ganja is said to be on the increase.
The reason assigned is that the poor, coming to
know that they can buy a soother much more
cheaply in the shape of ganja than they can
liquor, fall gradually to the former. Besides,
they say ganja effects are more lasting and less
pernicious than those of liquor.

   26. Most are of class (a); some fall into class
(c); very few are of classes (b) and (d). This is
with reference only to ganja-smokers. The bhang-
eaters and drinkers are so small that I have
excluded them.

   27. So far as I could gather, no particular habit
of life or circumstance seems to lead to the
practice. Some seem to learn from others, just
as in the case of the vice of tobacco smoking or
drinking; some seem to have recourse to it as a
cheap way of intoxicating themselves, as men-
tioned in paragraph 25; and a few contract the
habit from having first used the ganja as a
medicinal agent for asthma, for instance.

   28. (a) 4 or 5 pies per diem on an average.

   29. (a) Ganja-smokers invariably mix tobacco
with it, to get, it would appear, the full effect of
the drug, and also to make the smoke more
palatable and less irritating, as otherwise it tastes
bitter and nauseates them. Again, it is only
by the admixture of things like pepper, garlic,
milk, sugar, etc., to the ganja, that the bhang
is prepared. I am told that dhatura is never
mixed.

   30. Ganja-smoking seems to be practised most-
ly in company; but bhang eating in solitude, if
at all. Confined to the male sex, and, as a rule,
above middle period of life: At any rate the
practice appears by no means common among
young men. Children don't consume the drug
in any shape usually; but there seems to be a
practice among Muhammadans, though not, per-
haps, universal, of drugging the male children
with a small quantity of bhang shortly before
circumcision, with the object of rendering the oper-
ation painless.

   31. Not very easily, as the effects of an initia-
tive attempt are said to be anything but agreeable,
lasting for several hours; especially is this the
case with bhang. Habit once formed is difficult to
break off. Information is conflicting on this point,
some saying 'yes' and others 'no.' I am inclin-
ed to think that in this respect it is not worse
than the vice of liquor-drinking, moderation or
excess depending upon self-control of the con-
sumer.

vol. vi

2 T 2