224 REPORT OF THE INDIAN HEMP DRUGS COMMISSION, 1893-94. [CH. XI.

siddhi tipplers than among other people of the same class. What does happen
is that digestion is impaired, the daily consumption of such a dose of narcotic
overburdens the alimentary and eliminating systems, the man's appetite goes,
and the food he takes is not properly absorbed. The symptoms mentioned are
the signs of this indigestion, and the impaired vitality which renders the system
unable to throw off an illness is its results." With lowered vitality due to any
cause, it must be obvious that an individual is more liable to be affected by
vicissitudes of weather and bad sanitary surroundings than a person in normal
health; and it may be accepted that excessive consumption of any intoxicant does
tend to lower vitality. Excessive consumers of the drug are therefore probably
more liable to bowel-affections. As regards the indirect effects of the drug when
smoked, it is likely that the excessive consumers also commit excesses of other
kinds, while the excessive smoking also tends to diminish the appetite: the money
which should be spent for the purpose of procuring wholesome and nutritious food—
which a large number of witnesses state to be essential if evil effects are to be
warded off—is used for obtaining the drugs. It is not. surprising that under such
conditions the excessive consumer should be more liable to bowel-affections,
diarrhœa, or dysentery than a non-consumer.

A few witnesses have referred to sudden death following a prolonged pull at
a ganja or charas chillum. In the cases which the Commission have attempted to
sift, the cause of death has not been satisfactorily explained. There are, however,
diseased conditions in which sudden death is not uncommon, and in the cases
referred to autopsies do not appear to have been conducted. The Commission
consider, however, that a very prolonged pull at a chillum might possibly cause
spasm of the glottis, producing asphyxia, or the products of the destructive
distillation of the resin might cause paralysis of the respiratory centre or of the
heart. Alleged cases of this kind are very few indeed, and they have not been
carefully examined. They need not detain the Commission further. Leaving
the physical effects, the Commission now proceed to discuss the mental effects
of the drugs as shown in the alleged causation of insanity.