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3 June 1910
407 Brunswick Avenue
Toronto
Dear Professor Freud,
At last I have a defeat to chronicle, not too serious, I hope, but still unmistakeably a defeat. Hoch, Putnam and I read papers at the Canadian Medical Association this week,1 and I don't think any of the three were very good, all being produced via complicated inhibitions. Joseph Collins spoke in the discussion, which was very animated, and on the next day read a paper.2 He was too clever for us. I had prepared answers for the lines I expected him to take, but he surprised us by being very mild and diabolically insinuating. The feeling of the meeting was decidedly on his side, though I honestly think less so after the discussion than before it, which is something. I think it will not have a bad effect in general—it will stimulate more interest and experiment, which is what we want—but it may injure me locally. There is lately a strong prejudice in Toronto against me on account of the stress I lay on sexual matters, and it is likely to injure me especially in University and other appointments, but one can only hope for the best. I have taken a decided stand, and will stick to it—it is the easiest and most natural way.
Friedlander has sent a hostile article to Prince's Journal, but it cannot be published till next year for lack of space.3
Hoch, who is thoroughly convinced of all your views, Putnam and I spent a very agreeable three days together, talking hard over many matters. Hoch has a rather strong prejudice against Brill, on account of his unpopularity in Ward's Island and also some unprofessional behaviour in medico-legal cases, but I managed to do something to soften this.
There is no other news from this side, contrary to my usual budget. I had a letter from Mott4 of London today, congratulating me on spreading the knowledge of “Freud's valuable work” in England; that is good, for he is the only scientific psychiatrist there. Unfortunately he is very anatomical.
The Jahrbuch has not yet arrived, but I s