code: def _validate_parse_dates_arg(parse_dates):
      
      msg = ("Only booleans, lists, and "
             "dictionaries are accepted "
             "for the 'parse_dates' parameter")
  
      if parse_dates is not None:
          if is_scalar(parse_dates):
              if not lib.is_bool(parse_dates):
                  raise TypeError(msg)
  
          elif not isinstance(parse_dates, (list, dict)):
              raise TypeError(msg)
  
      return parse_dates
docs: Check whether or not the 'parse_dates' parameter
      is a non-boolean scalar. Raises a ValueError if
      that is the case.