Letter from Sigmund Freud to Sándor Ferenczi, February 8, 1911

Vienna, February 8, 1911
IX., Berggasse 19

Dear friend,

I am writing to you during a hiatus that an unpunctual patient has left me. Your letter just arrived, and in the morning Kleinpaul's book, in which

I unfortunately didn't find the Σατυρoζ dream. Martin came home in a cast and is making attempts at walking. Frau G.'s visit was very nice; her conversation is particularly charming. Her daughter is made of coarser material, participated little, and for the most part had a blank expression on her face. Otherwise, of course, there was not the slightest abnormality noticeable in her. The scar is really inconspicuous and gives good opportunities for her undeniable vanity.

You are quite right about the danger that you have unearthed; it really branches out from the transference. Now, the fear of the name of the illness is another such danger. Hysteria is already familiar to us as small change, dementia praecox not yet. The diagnosis says nothing about its practical significance. So let's hope for the best.

My well-being, which I owe to your communication, is continuing undisturbed. So, it was certainly that. Putnam ordered 400 copies of his paper in the Zentralblatt1 by wire, so he evidently wants to make big propaganda with it. Today he agrees to come to Europe to the Congress in September if we guarantee to him that he can board ship in Genoa on the 28th.2 I will report this to Jung, and it can be very nice. I again enclose Jung's card (which my address immediately influenced). I don't want to have the Crown Prince on foreign journeys so long.3

On Wednesday I spoke, at first in a measured tone but decidedly in opposition to the Adlerian heresies. Today there will be a continuation of the debate, in which the others will probably show their reaction to my speech. He himself had responded weakly, almost pettifoggingly.4

Rank is now very helpful to me with the third edition of the Interpretation of Dreams.

Kind Regards,

Freud