The American Psychoanalytical Association

The annual meeting of The American Psychoanalytical Association was held in Atlantic City, June 12, 1921. The attendance was very satisfactory, many guests were present, and new members were enrolled.

The same question as last year, of disbanding the society, and of combining it with the American Psychopathological Association, come up for discussion. It was the opinion of the majority, and so voted, that there was a definite need of a national psychoanalytical organization, as a recognized body, to give psychoanalysis the scientific standing it deserves. It was decided that the constitution and the general organization of the society should be retained, and that one individual should be appointed to arrange for the meeting for next year. Dr. Taneyhill, of Baltimore, was elected for that purpose. Dr. Taneyhill appointed Dr. Oberndorf of New York City as secretary.

The meeting was an informal one. The subject was "Unsuccessful Analyses". Dr. Brill discussed the type of case that at first sight should yield good results, but on closer study proves unamenable to psychoanalytic therapy.

The following case is typical. A man in whom there is a weakness of the adult sex life; many infantile activities are indulged in at the present time, in the form of frequent enemata, talking very much of his constipation; giving his wife enemata, because he felt that she, being a woman, could not do it right. He was fond of scatalogical jokes; very economical; well developed skin eroticism; indulging in it by being frequently rubbed and massaged. Chewed tobacco inveterately. Dr. Brill sums it up by saying that there is an executive weakness of the vita sexualis, not organized into adult sex activities, but retaining its infantile manifestations. The weakness is acquired or environmental and not congenital, due to drab, pleasureless home environment in infancy and early childhood. The absence of a strong, virile father may be an important factor. Dr. Brill added that the type