Report of the Eighth International Psycho-Analytical Congress

The Eighth International Psycho-Analytical Congress took place in April 1924, at Salzburg, the place at which the first meeting of psycho-analysts was convened in 1908. The Congress afforded a gratifying impression of the way in which psycho-analysis continues to spread and to gain in scientific insight. There was only one point in which this Congress compared unfavourably with those previously held: the man who, up till now, has been the mainspring both of our Congresses and our knowledge was absent. After his recent illness Professor Freud did not feel sufficiently well to support the exertions of a Congress lasting for three days. Those present responded to a telegram of greeting received from him not only in words, but in deeds, for the level of the papers read was probably higher than that attained at past Congresses: it was a corporate achievement permeated with the spirit of Freud. Let us hope that at the next Congress he will be amongst us once more to assure himself that all goes well with the cause we have at heart.

On the evening preceding the Congress those who were taking part met informally at the Hôtel de l'Europe and were welcomed to Austria by Dr. Rank in the name of the Vienna Society. The assembly was on that occasion the guest of the Viennese members; our thanks are due to Frau Dr. Rank and Frau Dr. Hitschmann for the admirable way in which they arranged this welcome and carried out the other necessary local preparations.

• 1Dr. Helene Deutsch, Vienna: The Psychology of Women in connection with the Reproductive Function.

• Basing her remarks on empirical material, the speaker discussed the psychic reactions of women to the physiological processes which accompany the function of reproduction. These processes—the onset of menstruation, its periodical recurrence, pregnancy, parturition and the climacteric—involve powerful upheavals in the economy of the libido and assume the proportions of traumatic experiences, pa