Veth, Jo. Spelanalyse Als Methode van Psychologisch Onderzoek en Van Behandeling Van Klndeeen Met Neurotische Verschejnselen. (Leyden:  N. V. Boek en Sleendrikkerij Eduardo Udo.)

This serious and useful study of some 153 pages with bibliography stems from the Leyden-Holland University Psychiatric Clinic, and offers some pertinent material on the analysis of children's play, as well as the value of play analysis for the treatment of neuroses in children.

A striking contrast exists between the psychoanalytic and other theories of children's play and is here well emphasized. The histories and details of analysis of seven neurotic children from the clinic are given.

In general, Dr. Veth shows in her analysis that neurotic children are usually quite inhibited in their play. They either do not play at all or their play is monotonous and reiterative. The motive of the neurotic conflict nearly always enters into the play, reality being little considered. Children can be neurotic and yet not display symptoms other than the obstruction to their play. She shows that free play life follows dream mechanisms, and that manifest factors in play are understandable, so far as latent content are concerned, in the same manner as in the dream. Thus play analysis becomes more relevant seen in this manner, and she finds Melanie Klein's suggestions of value and her conclusions correct.

Play analysis can form a very substantial type of psychotherapy for children, even with weekly play analysis. She is of the opinion that the child comes to be self-reliant earlier than is supposed, hence the type of pedagogic play analysis, with instructions said to be favored by Anna Freud, is not so valuable as free play activities with little verbal instruction.

She finds that an Œdipal phase is well under construction by the third year, and that the Super-Ego formation also begins much earlier than has heretofore been widely held.

We find this work refreshing and sound and a definite contribution to the analysis of children.