Varia

Outline of a Series of Talks on Psychoanalysis. The following is the scheme of a series of forenoon talks given by Dr. Dooley to the women members of the medical staff of Saint Elizabeths Hospital (Government Hospital for the Insane), Washington, D. C. The plan was to meet each morning before rounds and discuss the various topics which were raised by the different members of the staff. The talks were entirely informal, being guided from day to day by the questions which arose. The following scheme, therefore, does not aim at a comprehensive outlining of the subject of psychoanalysis but is only intended to gather up the material so presented into orderly form. Even some of the subjects discussed may easily have been omitted, as the scheme was prepared by request only after it had been completed. It is published here in order to give a practical idea of a method which may be used in dealing with the daily psychiatric problems and the way in which such problems may with advantage be handled. (ED.)

Introduction:

1. Principle of psychic determinism: Psychoanalysis assumes that mental expressions have mental or psychic causes; every action is an expression of a trend already present, that is, every action is determined by some past incident in the life of the individual.

2. Methods of getting at these causal incidents—

   1. The fullest possible history.

   2. Childhood memories.

   3. Dream analysis.

   4. Free association.