Devereux] MOHAVE ETHNOPSYCHIATRY AND SUICIDE 81 



perplexing, since the Mohave themselves say that women are sexually more 

 provocative (Nettle, MS., n. d.) and also more promiscuous than men (Devereux, 

 1950 a). There are, however, indications that the Mohave woman values her 

 marriage less than does the man and therefore breaks it up more easily 

 (Devereux, 1951 f). Also, precisely because Mohave women are more promiscu- 

 ous than men, it is likely that they tire of sexual relations with one partner more 

 rapidly than do the men. Yet, even so, one is forced to suspect that the men in 

 question were simply hyperactive, but not satisfactory, sex partners, whose 

 "goodness" in other respects may have been an unconscious attempt to make 

 up for their inadequacy as sex partners. 



CASE 17 (Informants: Tcatc and E. S.) : 



Sukuetc (Hamsukuetc?) (English name not recalled), of the Nyoltc gens, died 

 around 1925, at the age of 40 or -IS."^ Except in one respect, be was like any 

 other man. He was a very good man, but his successive wives would not live 

 with him because he cohabited with them too often. After he had been married 

 10 or 15 times, he contracted severe gonorrhea (actually also syphilis). At that 

 time the late M. A. I. Nettle, M. D., was our (reservation) physician, and she 

 treated him. I recall hearing that his penis was just rotten and that one of 

 his testicles had fallen off. His one remaining testicle, which was just about to 

 fall off anyway, had to be removed surgically.*" This is how this man died." 



Comment 



Tentative diagnosis: Compulsive promiscuousness, and sexual hyperactivity. 

 Venereal disease. 

 For additional comments, see below. 



KAMALO : T TAMINYK 



PreliTninary considerations. — According to Ahma Hiima : re, the 

 term kamalo : y denotes a promiscuous and psychopathic woman 

 (Devereux, 1948 f), while the term taminyk means "too much" oi 

 "excess." A woman suffering from kamalo : y taminyk is, however, not 

 necessarily also an obnoxious and aggressive person. Informants 

 knew of women, who, though extremely promiscuous, were, at the 

 same time, amiable, kindly, and industrious, and, therefore, very differ- 

 ent from the ethically obnoxious kamalo : y- Tcatc readily stated that 

 my description of such women as "a bad lot, but a good sort," could 



•*He was the uncle of C. M., who was living around Parker at that time, and who is the 

 stepfather of the juvenile delinquent discussed in Case 77. 



s^Thls case may have led to the belief (Devereux, 1948 g) that castration Is fatal to the 

 human male. 



•^ At this point I realized that Tcatc had been working with me for several hours in a 

 row, without any break in the form of the kind of banter which this lively octogenarian 

 seemed to enjoy a great deal. I therefore said : "Don't I always ask nice and clean ques- 

 tions?" Tcatc's eyes began to sparkle and she replied with a smile: "Maybe others would 

 not tell you such things. Maybe I am crazy to tell you." I replied quite seriously : "No, 

 you are not crazy. You are simply my friend and that is why you tell me these things . . . 

 to help me with my work." The purpose of these remarks was to humor Tcatc, who liked 

 to pretend that she was reluctant to discuss sexual matters. The incident is cited as an 

 example of field methods adapted to the specific temperament of a tribe, and to a typical 

 member of the tribe. 



y 



