Felix Deutsch—1884-1964

When Felix Deutsch died on January 2nd at the age of seventy-nine, psychoanalysis lost a brilliant pioneer with an inherent talent for teaching and creative writing that was made use of continually to the end of his life. He was a kindly, sensitive man of dignified mien, a fascinating teacher, and, above all, a tireless and original thinker. A steady flow of papers and books, translated into many languages, earned him fame in many areas outside as well as within the field of psychoanalysis. He was never a learned recluse, but rather actively participated in the training program and affairs of the Boston Psychoanalytic Society where he served as President for several terms. His medical talents in both clinical and psychological spheres were equaled only by a talent for æthetic appreciation which led to a profound knowledge of music and painting; he played the piano charmingly and while vacationing on his farm in New Hampshire enjoyed painting in oils. In his younger days he was actively interested in sports and played tennis up to the age of fifty. The family bond to his wife and son was a particularly close one, but his devotion to them never excluded a warm friendship with many colleagues and students.

Felix Deutsch was born August 9th, 1884, in Vienna. At twenty-five he was graduated from the University of Vienna Medical School and then interned for one year at the Wiedner Hospital in Vienna. At this time his interests focused mainly on internal medicine for which he was trained at the University Clinic in Munich and the Obersteiner Institute for Brain Research in Vienna. During this period he met and married Dr. Helene Rosenbach. Their son, Martin, is now a professor of physics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

In the early years of his medical practice, Dr. Deutsch was an associate clinical professor of internal medicine at the University of Vienna and Freud's personal physician. He became