B988 <=> B990 [BTG XLII Beelzebub in America, p. 989]

“’As I happened by chance to learn, they came to the clear conclusion that in general where “polyandry” and “polygamy” prevail – that is to say, where “more than one wife” and “more than one husband” are permitted by the established local morale – there is acquired in people a peculiar “psycho-organic” particularity in their relations as men and women.

“’This psycho-organic particularity exists also in the people of our Persia, in consequence of the fact that, as you know, we, being followers of the Mohammedan religion, have the custom of polygamy, that is to say, each man is permitted by law to have as many as seven wives.

“’And this psycho-organic particularity in our Persian people by the way is that the feeling of the husband’s infidelity never arises in any of the lawful wives concerning his other lawful wives.

“’Such a feeling appears in one of the wives only when her husband is unfaithful with a strange woman.

“’It is only now, respected Doctor, that living here in Europe and seeing all that goes on between husbands and wives, I fully appreciate our custom of polygamy, so extremely sensibly established and so beneficial both for men and for women.

“’Although every man among us is permitted several wives and not simply one, as is the case here in Europe where the Christian religion which allows only one wife is predominant, yet the honesty and conscientiousness of our men towards their wives are beyond compare with the honesty and conscientiousness existing among men here towards their one wife and their family in general.