Devereux] MOHAVE ETHNOPSYCHIATRY AND SUICIDE 77 



syphilis. While this question cannot be settled with absolute cer- 

 tainty, Hilyera Anyay's theory may have been based upon reports 

 of priapism in syphilitics, who sometimes develop this condition as a 

 result of syphilitic lesions of the nervous system. 



By contrast, Hivsu : Tupo : ma emphasized the psychogenic com- 

 ponent of priaj)ism and related it to the atcoo : r hanyienk syndrome : 



Atcoo : r hanyienk is caused, on the one hand, by tlie atcoo : r hawk, and, on 

 the other hand, by an excessive sexual drive and by masturbation. Priapism 

 is due to excessive masturbation, vv'hich causes the penis to be in a constant 

 state of erection. Sometimes, however, men also have painful and prolonged 

 erections from other causes. 



Priapism does not appear to be a widely known symptom. Thus, 

 when asked about this ailment, Tcatc, as well as interpreter E. S. 

 (who, later on, translated Hilyera Anyay's statement), burst out 

 laughing and said they never had heard of such a thing. 



Symptomatology. — According to Tcatc : 



(Forcible) seduction, called sakuve:ra (rape) should not be confused with 

 sudhu : rk. A man suffering from sudhu : rk acts as follows : Suppose three or 

 four families live together (i. e., in a small settlement). If a man just felt that 

 way (i. e., had an attack), he went into the house of some girl, and cohabited 

 with her. Sometimes the girl mistook him for her husband in the dark, but if 

 she found out who the man was, she just kicked him off.^* 



Therapy. — According to Hivsu : Tupo : ma, shamans were usually 

 able to treat such persons effectively. No shaman living in 1932-33 

 practiced this type of therapy. 



No case histories could be obtained. 



Comment 



Sudhu : rk seems to be a variety of the atcoo : r hanyienk illness, 

 and appears to affect only men. 



YA TCAHAETK 



Preliminary considerations. — Ya tcahaetk appears to be a compre- 

 hensive term applied to a variety of neurotic disturbances believed to 

 be caused by an excessive sexual urge, which no amount of physical 

 gratification can discharge entirely. Although the Mohave did not 

 specifically state that the term "ya tcahaetk" included both the 

 kamalo : y taminyk neurosis of women, and the sudhu : rk neurosis of 

 men, their ideas regarding the etiology and symptomatology of these 



" A Mohave father cohabited with his sleeping daughter, who mistook him for her hus- 

 band (Devereux, 1939 a). In many primitive societies (Barton, 1938; Devereux, MS., 

 1933-34; Hurley, 1936; Mead, 1928) men are known to rape sleeping women, who mis- 

 takenly believe them to be their husbands or lovers. It is superfluous, I think, to comment 

 on the unconscious "cooperation" of the victims of such "mistaken identity rapes," espe- 

 cially if they are incestuous. 



