International Journal of Psycho-Analysis

Varendonck, J. A Contribution to the Study of Artistic Preference. (409)

Brill, A. A. Tobacco and the Individual. (430)

Schroeder, T. Prenatal Psychisms and Mystical Pantheism. (445)

Abraham, K. Rescue and Murder of the Father in Neurotic Phantasies. (407)

Communications: Hiller, E., Some Remarks on Tobacco; Bryan, D., A Note on the Tongue.

Abstracts; Book Reviews; Society Proceedings.

Varendonck, J.: A Study in Artistic Preference.-This the author states might better be termed a contribution to the psychopathology of everyday life. It dealt with two comparatively healthy people who were not happy together. The man as an amateur in psychoanalysis contributed his material to the study. The couple would quarrel frequently and then would become reconciled. No serious grievances were present. In their inner lives there were contradictory purposes, however. The wife had loved but regretted her marriage the second day after marriage. Material issues were not satisfactory. This initial regret developed into hostility which an unseeing husband constantly fulminated into quarrels. He felt the coldness, became excited, insulted her, and then tried to make up. A reciprocal hate was the inevitable result, and yet they both craved love from each other. The husband's analysis showed the second self-longing even with the conscious despisal. These two used to sing together and the husband taught the children to sing. Varendonck analyzes the choice of the songs through which this couple showed their inner feelings. The phantasies of the husband were frequently occupied with wishes for his wife's death. Whenever he met another woman, “Would she be the one for me ?” would come. Wool gathering then began and the advantages and disadvantages hashed over, and only would the train stop when he would call himself silly; his own wife would probably survive him; etc. Other obsessive offshoots developed. The wife would die in an accident; even one contrived by the h