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The analyst who confidently believes that the analytic treatment of criminals holds vast possibilities both of a practical and scientific order, and yet for reasons of necessity is unable to handle more than a few such cases, can only envy Dr. Foxe his opportunities, as psychiatrist to Great Meadow Prison, for research into the psychology of crime.
His book is based upon three years of study, the examination of 1, 500 inmates of the prison and some 1, 500 psycho-analytic hours with those inmates. It is an ambitious book. Dr. Foxe's aim has been no less than to explain and to classify almost every conceivable form of crime. He introduces the new terms 'criminosis' and 'criminotic' and classifies crimes under headings such as 'criminosis in action' (e.g. burglary), 'criminosis in reaction' (e.g. forgery), 'border criminosis' (receiving), 'primal criminosis' (patricide), 'criminosis in perversion' (sodomy).
The attempt is made to relate particular crimes to different phases of libidinal development, simply by translating the symbolism involved and for the most part ignoring completely the patient's phantasy life: thus burglary belongs to the late oral phase, burglary with a gun to the anal phase, etc. The author quotes 93 case histories which, however, are rarely more than a record of the subject's crimes and convictions. No account is given of his childhood history or his phantasy-life, no reference is made to any neurotic features that may have been present, and the connection between his life and his crimes is brought out only in the most superficial way, if at all.
My chief objection to Dr. Foxe's book is its lack of a dynamic conception. One does not explain a particular manifestation simply by ascribing it to a certain phase of libidinal development. Among other things, it is necessary to shew why the libido has found the particular outlet in question and no other and to assess its dynamic significance (e.g. as a defence against anxiety); the history of a sy