SEXUAL HYGIENE 171 



deception practiced by the sordid Laban. To say, in 

 view of the facts, that monogamy originated with the 

 paganism of ancient Greece and Rome, is ahnost blas- 

 phemy. 



6. The argument that polygamy will cure the 

 ' ' social evil ' ' is exactly equivalent to the argument that 

 the removal of all restraint from the sale and manu- 

 facture of intoxicating drinks, thus making them cheap 

 and common, is the best remedy for intemperance. An 

 equally good argument might be made for the cure of 

 theft, murder, and every other vice and crime, by a 

 similar plan. Such reasoning is the veriest sophistry. 

 None but a biased mind could produce such flimsy ar- 

 guments. 



But we forbear. We have already given this sub- 

 ject more attention than it is worthy of, though we have 

 failed to characterize the vice of polygamy as it de- 

 serves. Our chief apology for noticing the subject is 

 the fact that sensual men sometimes set up some of the 

 same arguments as an apology for their vices. 



Polyandry.— Perhaps we should add a word or 

 two respecting this custom, which seems to be a still 

 greater outrage against nature than that of polygamy, 

 being the possession of a plurality of husbands by one 

 woman. This practice is in vogue in several countries 

 at the present time, being very common in Thibet, 

 where it is not an unusual thing for a woman, in marry- 

 ing the eldest of a family of brothers, to include in the 

 contract all the other brothers as well. Polyandry was 

 also common among the ancient Medes. Indeed, the 

 Medes practiced both polygamy and polyandry. A 

 man was not considered respectable unless he had at 

 least seven wives; neither were women considered 

 worthy of general esteem unless they had as many as 



