S.
l7 March l911 4O7 Brunswisk Avenue Toronto
Dear Professor Freud,
«IP4,0»Thank you greatly for your very delightful and welcome letter. It is excellent to get good personal news of yourself and your son.
I am afraid I cannot write a bright letter, for, as you will surmise from the one I wrote about ten days ago, things are with me very depressing. Fortunately an end is in sight for I have had to come to a definite decision. My wife said she could not stand the anxiety and suspense of the situation here, and that if I stayed on she would leave me for good. There was also reason to think that that would soon mean suicide, though she did not say so. She is very pessimistic and suffers greatly from complicated abdominal trouble (kidney stone, etc.). I decided to accompany her, and our plan at present is as follows: I go to Europe in September and if I get my Professorship before I go, I will come back for one session only to lecture and then leave; if I do not get it I shan't come back. In the meantime I will try to get a position in the States. If I do not get one to my liking I will go to England. In any case I shall find a way to go on with the work.
I have not been able to do any work in the past two months or more, but I now feel I can settle down to it again.
A point of some little interest was the discovery this week of the following infantile theory, one no doubt familiar to you: the child grows inside and emerges per rectum; the material is food, and the fertilising fluid is medicine supplied by the doctor. In a birth dream, she called on the way to "bathe" in a milk shop, and was given several bottles of milk, one of which was a violet colour bottle. The associations to the latter were: (1) violet=favourite flower ‑‑ buds ‑‑children. (2) "poisonous" medicines are in blue bottles (3) butter‑milk (semen symbol) is sold in brown bottles (brown+blue=violet). She has to take buttermilk as medicine, and it makes her feel sick.
It is rather pretty, don't you think so.
I am glad the «MDUL»Zentralblatt«MDNM» and «MDUL»Korrespondenzblatt«MDNM» will be combined. We want what we haven't yet got, namely a «MDUL»Zentralblatt«MDNM» that will be complete, giving an abstract, however short, of all the works that appear for and against. The present «MDUL»Zentralblatt«MDNM» only gives a selection of these. By the way, might I suggest that the date, month of publication, be put on the «MDUL»Zentralblatt«MDNM», though perhaps you have some reason for not wishing it.
You wrote that the «MDUL»Traumdeutung«MDNM» was appearing in a new edition in the course of a few «MDUL»years«MDNM». Rank told me it was to appear in May, so perhaps you made a Verschreiben. I hope so.«FN1.××The 3rd ed. of Freud (1900a) appeared in the spring of 1911.
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That was most interesting news about the Vienna group. You see how much you are wanted in the leadership, so you must resign your personal inclinations towards leisure, and keep in the saddle. I gathered from Stekel's last writings that he had been infected by Adler. The more I think of Adler, the more obviously one‑sided his views become to me. As you say, such a lack of judgement must be constellated by strong personal factors. It would be valuable to know who you consider best understand your views. Would the following order be far wrong? Jung, Ferenczi, Rank, Maeder, Riklin.
The May meeting of the American |×/×Association will probably be an informal one, and we shall have to discuss the relation of it to the New York Society. Brill now wants the latter to be independent, but I am afraid that would leave the other men out in the cold, and would prevent the good harmony that is necessary. Would you be so very kind as to let me know the date of the September meeting?«FN1.××The 3rd Congress of the International Psychoanalytic Association, Weimar, 21‑22 September 1911.» We have to get tickets ahead (it is Coronation year)«FN1.××George V succeeded his father Edward VII, who died on 6 May 1910, as King of Great Britain.
» and make other arrangements. Putnam has given up the American Medical Association in Los Angeles in order to go, and I hope there will be a good American contingent.
I hear excellent accounts of Adolf Meyer, who seems to be whole heartedly encouraging |×/×investigation. My pupil, McCurdy, who is working with him is doing splendidly, and brought me this week a pretty D. P.«FN1.××Dementia Praecox.» analysis. He is a very level‑headed fellow, and I think he will attain a high position in psychiatry.
You will by now have met Col. Sutherland, who has joined our association. I do not suppose he has done much |×/. He has done much work in the sexuality of Hindoos, some of which was contributed to «MDUL»Anthropophyteia«MDNM» under the synonym of Dr. S.
You ask me of the Soc. of Psychical Research. I am sorry to say that in spite of the good names in it, the society is not of good repute in scientific circles. You will remember that they did some valuable work in the eighties on hypnotism, automatic writing etc., but for the past 15 years they have confined their attention to "spook‑hunting", mediumism, and telepathy, the chief aim being to communicate with departed souls. Did you accept the corresp. membership? It does not seem that your researches lend much support to spiritism, inspite of William James' ardent hope. Poor James. One hasn't even the consolation of thinking that he knows better by now.
You are quite right in your concise description of Morton Prince, but after all it only describes one side of him. He has been spoiled by being the pet of Boston, in both social and scientific standings, and has kept up his boyish love for fighting for the fun of it in a light irresponsible way. There is much to be said about his character, but I am fairly sure he will never understand |×/.
With my Kindest Regards Yours always Ernest Jones.
