THE TAJIN TOTONAC PART 1 KELLY AND PALERM 



69 



Sterility seems to be infrequent and we can 

 give no precise figures. However, in a number of 

 polygynous unions, the husband is said to have 

 taken a second wife because the first produced no 

 offspring. And we know of at least one man who, 

 despite a series of wives, is said never to have had 

 children. Infanticide is not common, but two 

 specific cases were reported ; details will be found 

 in Part 2 of the report. 



We can made no accurate statement concerning 

 the increase in population in Tajin during the past 

 few decades. We place little reliance on the figures 

 below, which are included chiefly for the sake of 

 completeness : 



Year: Males Females Total 



19001 12 g 143 271 



19212 323 360 683 



1930 3 386 453 839 



1940 * 358 360 718 



1 Mexico, Seoretaria de Fomento . . . Censo general . . . 1900. 



2 Mexico, Departamento de la Estadistica Nacional. Censo general . . . 1921. 



3 Mexico, Secretaria de la Economla Nacional. Quinto censo de poblacion, 

 1930. 



4 Mexico, Secretaria de la Economla Nacional. Sexto censo de poblacion, 

 1940. 



MORTALITY 



Our figures concerning mortality are both in- 

 complete and inaccurate. They are based upon 

 the municipal records in Papantla, which appear 

 to be kept casually. Assuredly, most infant deaths 

 are not reported, but, theoretically, all adult fatal- 

 ities are recorded in Papantla. 2 In case of homi- 

 cide, the corpse is taken to Papantla for autopsy, 

 and it seems likely that the record of homicides is 

 complete. 



Eecords are available for 1945, 1946, and 1947 ; 

 below, the deaths have been numbered and 

 arranged in order of age : 



Age 

 1945: in years Sex Cause 



1 4 Female Measles. 



2 15 Male Homicide. 



3 21 Do. Do. 



4 23 Female Fever. 



5 25 Do. Do. 



6 i [28] Male [Homicide.] 



7 30 Female Nephritis. 



8 40 Male Anemia. 



9 60 Female Tuberculosis. 



10 68 Male Bronchitis. 



1946: 



1 14 Do. Homicide. 



2 27 Do. Do. 



1947: 



1 55 Do. Do. 



2 70 Do. Intestinal infection. 



' The municipal records for this particular death are incomplete. How- 

 ever, we are acquainted personally with the case and have given the approxi" 

 mate age, as well as the cause of death. 



2 We know of two local residents who, ailing, have left Tajfn 

 for medical attention, one going to Papantla, the other to 

 Huauchiuango. Each died outside the community, and quite 

 naturally the deaths are not recorded for Tajin. 



In no case is an infant death recorded above. 

 Either 1945 was an unfortunate year for the Tajin 

 Totonac, or the subsequent records are incom- 

 plete. It will be noted that of the total of 14 

 deaths, in the course of 3 years, 6 are attributed 

 to homicide; in other words, more than half of 

 the total male fatalities are homicidal. This ac- 

 cords with the high frequency of homicide given 

 in table 9. Moreover, the Papantla municipal 

 records for the adjacent Totonac community of 

 Ojital are corroborative. They show a total of 14 

 deaths during the same 3 years. Of these, 8 are 

 homicides, and another is violent; its cause is said 

 to be "fractured skull and contusions of the 

 thorax." Even if these figures are not accurate, 

 it is clear that homicide accounts for a very large 

 percentage of Totonac deaths, especially among 

 males. 



In case of homicide, there is no chance of an in- 

 correct diagnosis, particularly since the Totonac 

 technique of liquidating an enemy generally in- 

 cludes both firearms and machete slashing. How- 

 ever, probably little reliance is to be placed on the 

 other alleged causes of death. Measles, fever, in- 

 testinal infection, nephritis, anemia, and bron- 

 chial complaints all figure. "Fever" is a conven- 

 ient term which may include malaria, as well as 

 intestinal fevers. There is a certain amount of 

 malaria in Tajin, although it seems pretty well 

 concentrated in definite areas; part of the fundo 

 legal, for example, seems entirely free of mos- 

 quitoes; part is infested. Few people complain 

 of stomach and intestinal difficulties, although 

 two men, well along in years, asked for suggestions 

 to relieve kidney disorders. 



Bronchial difficulties seem to be fairly common. 

 We know of five deaths within recent years, and 

 one some time ago, which presumably are to be 

 attributed to tuberculosis (called secapalo) ; two 

 were within the same family. In addition, a young 

 man has a neck lesion which refuses to heal; a 

 Papantla physician diagnosed his case as scrof- 

 ula. Inevitably, tuberculosis is fatal. There are 

 no medical facilities in Tajin, and even if a Pa- 

 pantla doctor is consulted, because of living con- 

 ditions, it is difficult for a Totonac to follow the 

 recommended treatment of rest and special diet. 



We are not in a position to comment concern- 

 ing the prevalence of venereal disease, but there 

 are no obvious cases. Two middle-aged women 



