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– * மறைமலையம் - 31
Now, the sections fourteen and fifteen deal with the custom of the Tamils which allowed them to have a plurality of wives, even though the marriage of the first wife took place as the outcome of pure love. The reason for this polygamous custom seems to be twofold. First of all the ancient Tamils paid particular attention to preserving the health of their women as well as the health of their children. Sexual intercourse should not be indulged in too often of the detriment of women's health even if they are blessed with a robust constitution and have not given birth to any children.
But, after they have begun to bring forth children, a sufficiently long interval, say three, four, or five years must be allowed them between one child-birth and another so that they may recoup their health and strength and become properly fit for sexual enjoyment and another child-bearing. Otherwise, not only is brought about the breakdown of their own health but the physical and mental capacities of their innocent children also deteriorate. But, who in fact is the root-cause of so much misery and affliction? Undoubtedly it is not the females; it is the males alone who, in ninetynine cases out of a hundred, lose self-control in their passionate moments, commit the crime of sexual congress on their helpless wives against their will and put them to the inexpressible misery of child-bearing within an year they had given birth to a puny and pitiable child.
3Dr. John Cowan has quoted many cases to prove how heartless has been many a male partner as to commit this crime on his innocent wife under the influence of a blind and unbridled sexual passion, thus overlooking the welfare of his own family completely. It is known that women generally lose the capacity for child-bearing beyond their fortieth or fortyfifth year, and become thereby unfit for sexual intercourse: And many still, after giving birth to a child, feel a natural aversion to sexual congress. In all such cases the males conduct themselves either inconsiderately or seek to make clandestine love to women who belong to others or else they go to prostitutes.
