8 April 1914  69 Portland Court  London W

Dear Professor Freud,

Thank you very much for your welcome, full letter.  I am sorry that the news about Loe could not be better than it was.  The left‑sided pain must be hysterical.  When the left kidney was last operated on, we had all the possibilities in our mind of torsion of the ureter, cicatricial tissue, etc., and could find «MDUL»nothing«MDNM» to account for the pain, though since then another stone may possibly have formed.  It is an instructive lesson of the indirect organic effects of a neurosis.  Hysterical retention of urine, cystitis from infection with the catheter, ascending pyelitis with calculus concretion around this, aided by intestinal toxins due to hysterical constipation.

Some day I should like to learn, for my own benefit, the reason for her hate of me.  It preceded going to Canada, so could not have been due to any "unfaithfulness" on my part.  I have always ascribed it to the miscarriage (confirmed by what she said in a hysterical delirium in Toronto) in spite of all her denials, and what you say about the relation of the mother to the alimentary canal seems to accord with this view; after that date I became her mother.  Is this right?

I am glad that my answer to Abraham's proposal agreed with all your views.  It is always unsatisfactory not to arrive at a definite conclusion, but I felt unable to do so.  I have hesitations about an attack against the Zentral, for it would be so obviously a pretext that it would be better to come out into the open and fight on the real grounds of opposition.  Perhaps we could meet in Berlin on the last Sunday of May, before the groups dissolve for the summer (Sachs will be returning from London at about that time), and discuss the final campaign.

I am very pleased with the work done by the society here, and hope in another year to have four reliable trained men.  Not much, but such men are rare enough in our own work.  The general interest in |×/ in England is increasing daily, and everything seems satisfactory.

Abraham is most business‑like in his editorial duties, and I am sure he will prove highly efficient.  I sent him my Therapie‑Referat«FN1.××Jones (1914h).

» last week; perhaps you will be good enough to criticise the concluding general remarks (it is now with Sachs).

Your portrait was a great shock to me when I opened the roll.  The expression seemed more "worried" than thoughtful, the nose was broken, and the lips carelessly done.  However, I discovered that when one stood at a distance of M. 3, and remembered that it was an impressionistic etching, not a photograph, it took on another aspect in an interesting manner.  I do not consider it particularly good, but it conveys an impression of a certain mood.  It is clever, but not excellent.

«IP4,0»What is your next step in work?  I hope you will continue with the "Ratschläge" series,«FN1.××See Freud (1912e, 1913c, 1914g, 1915a).» which are badly needed.

«IP4,0»Morton Prince comes to London to lecture next week,«FN1.××Prince gave a lecture on his "personal reminiscences of the development of abnormal psychology" before the Psycho‑Medical Society, 16 April 1914, London, as noted in «MDUL»Journal of Abnormal Psychology«MDNM», 9(1914):296.

» and will probably stay with me.  He shows up better personally than in what he writes.

Of personal news I have the following: My new step‑mother, who is a vulgar person, after quarrelling with my sisters has forced a quarrel on me in such a way as to alienate my father and myself.  I am sorry, for I love him in spite of his weaknesses, but perhaps it will have the advantage of increasing my independence.  My health is quite restored, and even the rheumatism has quite disappeared.  Tomorrow I go to Paris for three days.  It will be a pleasant change, and I have friends to visit there.

I have little prospect of writing any articles for some months, as other work will occupy me until then (society contributions, teaching work, translation, etc.).  I have sent Rank, however, a few contributions to the «MDUL»Zeitschrift«MDNM»,«FN1.××Possibly Jones (1914d, 1914e, 1914f, 1914g); as well as various reviews by Jones listed in «MDUL»Zeitschrift«MDNM», 2(1914): v‑vii.

» which is one's first care.  Rank must surely be very busy in recovering the ground lost by the printer's strike.

With kindest regards  from  yours always  Jones.