The presenting symptom in a case of anorexia nervosa turned out to be an accompanying sign of a severe developmental disturbance of the ego. The whole personality had remained on an oral level and the analysis made possible a study of the ways in which the archaic ego functions. Orality showed itself not only in the symptom and in the fact that food was the patient's main interest, but also in peculiarities of her speech and in her incapacity for appropriation. She was entirely dependent on getting narcissistic supplies. Her intense fixation on her mother was infantile to such an extent that Eissler summarizes the relationship in the following words: 'The mother remained the most important part of the patient's ego'. He believes that an entire lack of maternal tenderness and physical affection was responsible for the establishment of the disturbance. Because of the patient's infantile character, magical therapeutic procedures were successfully employed.