You do not currently have permission to view the full text for this document. Please sign in to an account with an active subscription or contact support.
Dear Friends,
We have finished correcting the proofs of Vol. III of the »Collected Papers« (Krankengeschichten) so that it should appear in less than a month's time. The revising of the translation of Vol. IV should also be finished in another month. The Institute represents little more than a change of title from the old Press, brought about by Rickman's perception of some obscure legal advantages. The Institute is incorporated by the Government as a scientific body and thus it does not rank as a commercial firm. Its aim is to set the Society free to purely scientific activities, by dealing itself with all the external aspects of the movement. Thus it will be the body undertaking the organisation of the clinic. Unlike the Press it is empowered to receive trustee bequests and legacies.
From the last remarks it will be observed that the Berlin letter arrived this morning. There are two other matters mentioned in the letter on which I will comment. The proposal to hold the Congress in French Switzerland2 was for several reasons extremely acceptable to us and it is disappointing to hear about the change. Just because the Swiss are so difficult and aloof it was particularly important to come to some understanding with them, so that if Abraham, who has special gifts in this respect was unable to accomplish this, it means that the outlook is obscure for the future. This is such a serious matter that we would gladly hear details from Abraham of the actual difficulties they raised. In regard to the date of the Congress I may say that for the English and probably also for the American members it would be most convenient if the Congress finished before the first of September.
I find Abraham's letter to Stern entirely tactful and correct and I quite agree with his diagnosis of the original source of the trouble. It is unfortunately far from being the only instance in which a lack of tact on the part of the Continental analysts has placed their colleagues in England and America in