278 INDIAN PKEPARATIONS FROM CANNABIS SATIYA. 



(north of Calcutta) ; Bhang comes chiefly from the districts of Tiihoot, 

 Saruu, and Goruckpoor. In external appearance they differ consider- 

 ably, Ganja is in the form of stalks, three or four feet long, with the 

 inflorescence attached, the whole having been dried and pressed flat ; 

 the colour a dirty brown, odour strongly aromatic and heavy, very 

 resmous to the touch. This variety is highly intoxicating, which is 

 accounted for by the abundance of resin (the cJiurrm of Nepal and 

 other parts). Its retail price, deprived of stalks, is at the rate of about 

 Es. 200 per maund (80 lbs. avoirdupois), this high price being due to 

 the weight of the tax imposed upon it by Government. Bhang is in 

 the form of dried leaves without stalks, or at least with only fragments 

 of stalks, and abounds in the dried inflorescence, apparently female* 

 Its colour is a dull green ; it has not much odour, and is greatly defi- 

 cient in resinous matter; its intoxicating properties are very slight. 



Ganja is smoked somewhat in the same way as tobacco ; its con- 

 tinued use invariably brings on severe asthma. Bhang is not smoked, 

 but is ground up with water into a pulp, and mixed with other ingre- 

 dients, so as to make a thick drink, called Subzee, reputed to be cool- 

 ing, and highly conducive to healthy people accustomed to use it enjoy 

 excellent health, in fact never get sick. 



Now it has always been a question with me whether the plants yield- 

 ing Ganja and Bhang are identical; see O'Shaughnessy's 'Dispensa- 

 tory,* etc. The natives say that Ganja, like the Kajshahye drug, can- 

 not be manufactured here nor in any of the neighbouring districts. 

 Bhang grows in abundance, and is absolutely wild iu the Bhagulpoor 

 and Tirhoot districts, springing up everywhere in the former like a 

 weed. With the view of inquiring into the inatter, I have raised seve- 

 ral Bhang plants in my garden this year ; they are now coming into 

 flower. The plants which have completely flowered are, with the ex- 

 ception of one, to all intents and purposes, monoecious, while all the 

 botanical books I have access to, make Cannabis strictly dioecious. The 

 single plant, which appears to bear only female flowers, is not com- 

 pletely in flower yet. The male flowers come last, and may yet appear, 

 or I may have overlooked them. You will be interested, T think, in 

 examining the inflorescence, and therefore I enclose some specimens. 

 [They appear to be true Cannabis sativa. — Ed.] It is 'requisite to as- 

 certain whether the Rajshahye plant presents the same character, and I 

 have therefore sent to Eajshahye for specimens. 



