REPORT BY MR. DAVID HOOPER, GOVERNMENT QUINOLOGIST, MADRAS. 197
REPORT BY MR. DAVID
HOOPER, GOVERNMENT QUINOLOGIST, MADRAS,
ON THE RESULTS OF ANALYSIS OF HEMP
DRUGS.
I have the honor to
forward the results of the analyses of samples of hemp drugs
sub-
mitted for chemical examination by your Commission, together with
those collected by my-
self and others in this presidency.
This is the first time
that a systematic examination of hemp drugs from different
partz
of India has been conducted. Previous investigators have contented
themselves with search-
ing in commercial samples for the active principle, without first
satisfying themselves as
to the variation in the composition of the plants grown in
different districts and under differ-
ent circumstances.
The active principle of
hemp is contained in, and intimately associated with, the
resinous
secretion which is found in the leaves of the plant, and which is
formed in abundance in
the flowering tops when the cultivated female plants are grown by
themselves. The resins
in this secretion are associated with one or more alkaloids,
existing in small quantities and
not possessing the peculiar physiological action of the drug. The
chief object of the
analysis was not to determine the alkaloid, as in examining tobacco
for nicotine, but to
separate the resinous matter in as pure a condition as possible,
taking the precaution to free
the sample from excess of seeds yielding fixed oil.
Other objects sought for
in the examination of Indian hemp were the following: deter-
minations of extractives directly soluble in spirit and in water;
determination of nitrogen;
search for sugar, and estimation of that body when present; a
proximate analysis, showing the
amounts dissolved by ether, and subsequently by rectified spirit
and water, and the crude
fibre and ash contents; nature of the ash, solubility of ash in
water with estimation of alkalin-
ity, solubility in acid, amount of insoluble or sandy matter,
analysis of ash of ganja and
bhang; proportion of seeds in ganja and bhang; composition of the
seeds; nature of the
resinous extractive.
The literature on the
subject of the chemistry of ganja has been referred to and
digested,
and Dr. Prain's " Report on the cultivation and use of ganja" has
been read with interest;
but before offering any remarks I will first enumerate the samples
of drugs received, describe
the methods of their analysis and give the tables of
results.
The samples of
ganja.-In order to compare the composition of all the samples
with those
of acknowledged superiority, such as Bengal ganja, specimens were
obtained through the
Commissioner of Excise from Naogaon in Rajshahi district. The four
kinds-large flat twig,
small twig round and chur were typical specimens and were received
in good condition. Surat,
No. 1, was in matted heads with a fair amount of seeds. Surat
ganja, No. 2, was in a loose
dusty condition with many seeds and some stones. Besides
these impurities, it gave a grass green
coloured tincture, characteristic of bhang, and as leaves
predominated it was placed among the
bhang. The two kinds of Sind ganja came from Karachi; they were
labelled " first kind known
as Panvel ganja," "second kind or Sholapur ganja." The first
specimen had a good odour
and was broken up into smaller pieces than the second, which was in
clean matted heads. The
Commissioner of Excise, North-Western Provinces, sent some pieces
of Baluchar and Pathar
ganja used in Allahabad, but not grown in the provinces. These
fragmentary samples did
not admit of a full analysis being made. The North-Western
Provinces supplied two illicit
ganjas-one from Ghazipur, and the other from Basti. The latter was
a small sample "ob-
tained by a fakir from the border of the district or from the
adjacent Nipal terai." It was
rather seedy and dirty in appearance. The Ghazipur specimen was of
a good green colour,
but the leafy bracts were thin, and the tops were not agglutinated
as in other samples. The
Khandesh ganja bad the Dhulia post mark on the parcel, and was
representative. The Satara
drug was labelled "ganja flower tops"; it was seedy, it contained a
few insects and had only
a poor odour. The Ahmednagar specimens were interesting in having a
different commercial
value attached to each. One was sold for Rs. 55, the second for Rs.
50, and the third for Rs.
48 for three Bengal maunds. The retail price of each was 12 annas
per pound. There was
not much difference in their appearance, except that perhaps there
was more stalk in the third
kind. The Nasik ganja was in matted heads with fair odour, and
almost entirely
free from seeds. The Solahpur sample was clean and had few seeds;
its composition was differ-
ent to the Solahpur ganja imported in Sind. The Bijapur ganja had a
few seeds, a slight
musty odour and a brownish-green colour. Of the two specimens from
Nimar district, one
was marked "cleaned ganja raised from local seed," and the other
"cleaned ganja raised from
Dhakalgaon seed." The Hyderabad drug was of a good colour and
fresh. With reference
to the Madras samples, the two kinds purchased in the Ootacamund
bazar were called "Javaj"
or "Javathu" and "country ganja." The first is considered the best
kind, and from its
name very probably came from the Javadi hills; the second kind came
from Coimbatore. An
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