Following an excellent review of the literature, the author reports two analyzed cases of peptic ulcer. The first is a man 30 years old. After a period of spoiling by his mother, the birth of a brother caused the patient to turn to his father. Oral envy necessitated a strong defense in the form of a motherly attitude towards the brother. The passive and dependent wishes were even in their sublimation so obnoxious to the patient that they had to be overcompensated by exaggerated ambition and a drive towards independence. The repressed tendencies found expression in gastric symptoms which occurred particularly when the compensatory efforts were excessive and the gratification of his oral wishes thwarted. The second patient early in life renounced his aggressive impulses, becoming extremely passive and repressing strong oral receptive and aggressive tendencies. He was well-defended against sexual impulses by feminine identification and impotence, but against his oral striving he had to build a complex system of defenses in the form of overcompensatory generosity and responsibility.