Foreword and Corrections

Because the early records of the American Psychoanalytic Association were lost some years ago, the Editors' account of its founding has necessarily to depend largely upon the memory of those members who took part in its organization. The historical note which appeared in Volume I contains, therefore, a number of minor errors which various of our readers have kindly brought to our attention.

For instance, one informant remembered clearly the presence of Lieutenant-Colonel Owen Berkeley-Hill at a meeting of the Association held in Boston in 1912. From Ranchi, Bihar, India, however, Lieutenant-Colonel Berkeley-Hill writes us that his first visit to the United States was in the memorable year of 1929.

Another informant recalled that as early as “1894, William James lectured to his classes on the early papers of Breuer and Freud”. The Editors must admit some responsibility for this slip, since a moment's reflection would have made it clear that papers which were first published in German in 1893, and which did not appear in book form until 1895, could hardly have been the subject of very much discussion in Boston in 1894. Indeed, Dr. Brill is under the impression that William James had had little if any contact with Freudian literature before Freud's visit to America. On the other hand, it may be relevant to recall James' early interest in German psychological literature, his keen command of the language, and perhaps especially his early depressions, during which he was taken care of in Europe. Just when his interest first focused on Freudian literature is not definitely known to us.

Certain other errors arose because in the memories of our informants there was some confusion between the founding of the American Psychopathological Association and that of the American Psychoanalytic Association.

The former held its first annual meeting in the New Willard Hotel, in Washington, D. C. on May 2, 1910. At this meeting Dr. Morton Prince, who had been its temporary chairman,