Letter from Ernest Jones to Sigmund Freud, February 3, 1921

International Psycho-Analytical Press

3 February 1921
London W1

Dear Professor,

Your letters of Jan. 24 and 28th telepathically answered the one of mine that never arrived,1 for it began by expressing my regret that the excellent institution of the Rundbrief had the one drawback that it made your letters fewer. My letter contained three other points, those relating to your Putnam preface, which Rank has settled satisfactorily, and a talk about Young and Mrs. Rickman. I hope that Young may still return when he gets into further difficulties, and shall be glad to learn when he does. I am of course very curious to hear which were your chief discoveries about him. In my analysis I had always suspected some infantile urinary scene, but he steadily denied the possibility of it. Some time afterwards, after his return from Russia, he resumed for a short while and one day quite calmly referred to an incident “which I think I told you of”; it was for being reprimanded by his mother for urinating on her in bed. He was one of the most interesting cases, and also personalities, I have ever studied, and I should be grateful to hear something of your views.

Mrs. Rickman is making progress, but he is evidently in need of more analysis and the marriage is only partly successful. I find her a very valuable and thoroughly good person, whom one likes the better one knows her, though it is hard to imagine her being sexually attractive. She is very good material. Perhaps you know that she is four months pregnant now.

I am glad to hear that the cigars arrived safely and hope that you find them to your taste. It was a risk, but worth while taking.

I am extremely grateful to you and to Anna for taking so much trouble over the translation of my book2 and wish it were better worth your time. The arrangement of it should be altered in the next edition, and of course