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Budapest, February 16, 1911
VII., Erzsébet-körút 54
Dear Professor,
In the lecture that I gave at the Physicians' Association I used the tactic of limiting myself to the explanation of the methodological difference between suggestion and Ψ.A., but this time I refrained from treating the
content of what is uncovered by means of analysis (sexuality). I wanted thereby to take into account the audience's resistances. And everything went smoothly; the people listened attentively. But I had barely concluded when a speaker (an insignificant hydrotherapist whose name you don't need to note) rose in opposition and read aloud a long prepared lecture against ΨA. He was not prepared for the fact that a Ψ-analyst would give a lecture without “hanky-panky” [Schweinereien] and made a real fool of himself when he (quoting from Stekel's book) referred to the outrageousness of the method. Even so, he was successful in evoking some indignation. His main points were as follows: 1.) The ucs. is “non existens” for the psyche. 2.) Analysis is a wayward doctrine which creates illness and destroys culture. (He was lying through his teeth when he said that Freud wants to let loose the untamed drives onto society.)
Encouraged by this, a dermatologist, who is competent in his field but known as a jokester, stood up and said (jokingly) something like this: 1.) Analysis is pornography; so analysts belong in jail. 2.) Analysis is, at the very least, a dangerous poison; one would first have to prove its curative power before one applies it.
Finally there spoke up (quite unnecessarily) a young, inexperienced doctor, who wanted to flatter me—since I am his boss in the workers' clinic—and rose to my defense.
In my response I first protested against my defender by proving to him that his opinion was absolutely worthless, inasmuch as he had no experience.
Well, then I energetically repudiated the lies and stupid jokes of the previous speakers.
The only thing that is of interest in this whole affair is that t