Reconstructions link the present material with the many fragments of the patient's past history which are amassed during treatment. Early in the history of psychoanalytic technique, reconstructions were concerned mainly with the rediscovery of certain childhood events; later efforts at reconstructions aimed at establishing genetic patterns, theories of development, and theories concerning the nature of the psychic apparatus and the early mental functioning. Interest then turned to the preverbal life of the patient, including, in addition to his conflicts, the nature of his psychic functions and the precursors to the psychic apparatus. The authors observed that the reconstructions pertaining to the earlier preverbal period are not as reliable and verifiable as those pertaining to Oedipal development and to the latency period. However, careful observation and understanding