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Brit. med. Jour., 1948, Vol. II, p. 308.
Glover reviews Freud's essay on lay analysis (Sigmund Freud: The Question of Lay Analysis. Translated by Nancy Proctor Gregg. London: Imago Publishing Co., 1947, Pp. 81. 9 s.) in the light of the nationalization of teaching hospitals and clinics. He is of the opinion that psycho-analysis will have to be more closely affiliated with teaching organizations, which, in turn, will involve more official scrutiny of training methods and selection of candidates. He endorses Freud's statement that a layman who has been analysed and trained in the technique of analysis and knows how to handle transferences and resistances is no longer a layman in psycho-analysis, but he is of the opinion that diagnosis and recommendation for treatment should remain a medical responsibility.
In considering the present position of the lay analyst in relation to psychiatrists he points out that in many clinics psychiatrists have accepted the 'play therapist' in the treatment of children almost regardless of their training. For practical purposes he postulates that a solution might be reached whereby mental disorders were classified into two groups: one suitable for lay and the other for medical analysts, the former to include anxiety hysterias, a few conversion hysterias, most obsessional neuroses, general character difficulties (excluding psychotic types) sexual inhibitions and perversions and most anti-social disorders; the latter to include the psychoses, border line psychotic conditions and psychotic character cases, severe cases of psychopathy, most conversion hysterias, some of the anxiety states, traumatic neuroses, psycho-somatic disorders, alcoholism and drug addiction.
In discussing the background of the psycho-analyst he emphasizes the importance of cultural development, wide knowledge and understanding of such subjects as anthropology, social development and sexual disorders. He advances the view that the discipline involved in a medica