The Freud Literary Heritage Foundation

Readers of the Bulletin may already have an interest in the Freud Literary Heritage Foundation, but we would like to call attention once more to the purpose for which it was set up. It seeks to sponsor scholarly editions of Freud's writings and two collections are already in preparation: the Brautbriefe by Ilse Grubrich-Simitis and the Freud-Minna Bernays correspondence by Dr Albrecht Hirschmüller. The trustees of the foundation are Alice Colonna, Emanuel E. Garcia MD and K.R. Eissler MD. Alice Colonna is a graduate of the Anna Freud Centre and is now one of its trustees; K.R. Eissler gave major support to Anna Freud and the Centre during her lifetime; and Dr Garcia has co-operated informally with a Clinic representative in fostering aims that are of interest to both organizations. The Foundation has charitable status and may be reached through K.R. Eissler MD, 300 Central Park West, New York NY 10024.

Readers may be interested in the following communication from Dr Garcia which, though not about the foundation, reports an unusual event not altogether unconnected with one of Freud's key observations:

It will be recalled that the feat which granted the tragic Greek hero in the Oedipus myth his rise to prominence as king of Thebes was his solution of the famed riddle of the Sphinx. Although the riddle is commonly presented to children (I still recall my own bewilderment when quizzed by a teacher), I have never heard of a single instance of a child who hears the riddle for the first time and gives the correct answer - until now.

A healthy, bright girl of 5 years 4 months was being introduced to the story of Oedipus by her father, who put the legendary riddle to her: ‘What walks on four legs in the morning, two at noon, and three in the evening?’ Scarcely had he finished when the child unhesitatingly replied: ‘person’. The father told me of his astonishment. No less surprised, I questioned the parents and child shortly afterwards. It was clear that the girl had not been ex