Name, race,
occupation,
district, age and
register
number of
lunatic.
|
Alleged cause
of insanity.
(Statement VII.)
|
Type of in-
sanity. (State-
ment VI.)
|
Facts ascertained from
local enquiries.
|
Asylum Superintendent's
final report.
|
13. Ramanand; Brah-
man; Cultivator;
Suitanpur; 28;
No. 13.43.
|
Bhang
|
Recurrent
mania.
|
The enquiry into this
case was made
apparently by a native official. The
report says: "The residents of the
village where he used to reside, while
attributing the cause of insanity to a
sunstroke, declare that he was not a
consumer of hemp drugs or any
intoxicant, nor had he any domestic
trouble, grief, or fright. No former
member of the family is said to have
been affected with insanity in any
shape or way." He belongs to the
"Sarwaria clan of Brahmans, which
is, no doubt, partial to the use of
bhang."
|
In view of the history of
this case,
bhang-drinking very probably was the exciting cause of
insanity.
[NOTE.—The letter of the
Deputy Commissioner
of Sultanpur, which is imperfectly abstracted
by the Superintendent, is annexed. The fact
that the fair copy was signed by a Deputy Col-
lector " for F. W. Brownrigg, Officiating
Deputy Commissioner," seems to have put Dr.
Hooper into thinking that the inquiry was con-
ducted by "a native official."]
|
14. Mahadeo; Hin-
du; Cultivator;
Kheri; 14 No.
13.47.
|
Ganja
|
Toxic in-
sanity.
|
"Mahadeo's mother and
persons resid-
ing in the same village state that
Mahadeo does not use ganja, nor did
he ever use it. He was laid up with
fever and ague for 15 days, and this
affected his brain and caused his in-
sanity. None of his family ever was
insane. He had once before, some
three years ago, become insane on
account of fever and ague; but that
time it was not severe."
The Assistant Surgeon
thinks he may
have been mistaken in concluding that
the symptoms were produced by
ganja.
[NOTE.—The Deputy
Commissioner adds: "The
police being llged to report cause, pat it
down to ganja without proper inquiry."]
|
The cause given in the
statement receiv-
ed with this lad was fever, but also attributable to
ganja, charas, and
tobacoo used by him.
The patient admitted the
habitual use
of ganja and charas. The symptoms,
rapid improvement and cure, support
the conclusion that the case was one
of toxic insanity produced by the use
of ganja and charas.
|
15. Raghunath; Hin-
du; Bania; Shop-
keeper; Unao;
40; No. 13.54.
|
Ganja
|
Recurrent
mania.
|
No insanity, in family
traced; was not
addicted to the consumption of any
intoxicants.
[NOTE.—The Superintendent
does not quote the
report to the filed that inquiry showed that
the lunatic "lost younger brother some six
months before becoming mad, of whom he was
very fond." Mr. Radlee, City Magistrate, Luck-
now, discovered this from the man's relatives.]
|
The lunatic admits that
he smoked
ganja twice daily for 4 years.
He smiled very cheerily
when shown
ganja.
Insanity probably excited
in this case
by use of ganja—at all events in the
recent attack.
|
16. Baldeo; Lodhi;
Cultivator; Kheri;
25; No. 13.56.
|
Ganja
|
Toxic in-
sanity.
|
A careful enquiry from
the father and
other persons residing in the same
village shows that Baldeo used to
smoke "too much ganja," but at the
time of his first attack he was laid up
with fever. Baldeo's grandfather
on his mother's side was insane.
[NOTE.—The same witnesses
say: "At the second
time when he became insane his malady was
not preceded by fever."]
|
There was undoubted
inherited tendency
in this case, but the second attack
appears to have been induced by ex-
cessive ganja-smoking.
|
17. Mullu; Hindu;
Carpenter; Luck-
now; 45; No.
13.26.
|
Ganja
|
Toxic
mania.
|
No madness in family; now
quite well.
Stated himself that he used to drink
bhang; had been taking bhang some
10 or 12 years, but has given it up
since recovery. Used to take about
half a tola of bhang daily.
[NOTE.—The report says
nothing about spirits
Apparently no inquiry was made about it by
the City Magistrate]
|
Appears to have been a
clear case of
toxic insanity induced by the use of
bhang and probably of spirit also.
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