Devereux] MOHAVE ETHNOPSYCHIATRY AND SUICIDE 49 



AN ILLNESS OF ORDINARILY ACTIVE PERSONS 



The first clue to the belief that even ordinary types of activity, 

 when engaged in continuously and intensively, may have deleterious 

 consequences was obtained accidentally, in reply to a question about 

 hysterical peripheral anaesthesias. Tcatc's answer was worded in 

 such a manner that a question about paralysis seemed to be called 

 for. The data she provided were relatively simple and, taken by 

 themselves, did not seem to be related to any specific native belief. 

 Their true meaning did not become apparent until Hilyera Anyay 

 was questioned about flexibilitas cerea (waxy flexibility) that occurs 

 in a certain form of schizophrenia. In reply to these questions, he de- 

 scribed a specific form of paralysis, which was clearly neither hyster- 

 ical nor syphilitic in origin,^* and which he attributed to pro- 

 longed strenuous activity in one's youth. The gradual manner in 

 which this information was obtained shows how difficult it is to in- 

 vestigate relatively marginal and previously unreported beliefs. 



A. Informants Tcatc and E. S. : 



[Do you know anything about peripheral anaesthesias?] It must be the 

 blood that is not circulating right. They can use their feet all right, although 

 they move them very slowly. Yet, you can pinch their skin, or stick something 

 into it, and they do not feel it. [You mean that their legs are almost paralyzed?] 

 This condition does usually lead to paralysis. 



B. Informants Hilyera Anyay and E. S. : 



[Do you know of flexibilitas cerea?] In his youth a person may perform 

 some kind of heavy work and feel no strain whatever. However, on reaching 

 old age, it seems that his muscles, which were formerly very strong, can no 

 longer do the heavy work they used to be able to do." This person's arms, or 

 else his feet and legs, are in such a state that he cannot move them normally 

 [i. e., voluntarily]. If he wishes to move such a paralyzed limb, he must 

 take hold of his arm or leg and must place it in the desired position.** This 

 condition is called either nyayu: hudhu : tc takavekam (then his-power comes- 

 back-on-him) or hithu : ly. 



C. At about the same time, though in a different context, Plilyera 

 Anyay related a dream that suggests, at least by juxtaposition, a 

 nexus between outstanding performance as a runner in one's youth,^^ 

 and rheumatism in old age. 



21 According to M. A. I. Nettle, M. D., who had been the physician of the Colorado 

 River Indian Reservation for 22 years, the Mohave did not suffer from paralysis of 

 syphilitic origin at that time (approx. 1910-32). (Personal communication, 1933.) 



^» All weaknesses of old age. including loss of erectile potency (Devereux, 1950 a), tend 

 to be attributed to muscular weakness. 



28 It is this passive movement which most nearly recalls flexibilitas cerea, though, need- 

 less to say, the similarity Is a purely external and fortuitous one. 



"The Mohave were quite outstanding long distance runners. Once Hivsu : Tupo : ma 

 cited as a "typical" example of the degeneration of contemporary Mohave runners a feat 

 of long distance running which was quite startling by Occidental standards : His half- 

 brother needed 24 hours to run from Parker to Needles and back, because, on his way 

 back, he slept a few hours. The distance covered In these 24 hours was approximately 

 80 miles as the crow flies — most of It through rocky desert country (Devereux, 1949 a). 



