Letter from Freud to Fliess, November 2, 1901

Vienna, November 2, 1901
IX., Berggasse 19

Dear Wilhelm:

You are surely entitled to hear from time to time how matters stand with your patient, and I write about her the more gladly because I am in no mood for anything else.

You have indeed selected a case for me that is made to order for this therapy. I can say that so far it has gone extremely well — perhaps also because it is easy for me to take an interest in this type of character. I shall no doubt give you more of the details verbally sometime when I can violate discretion with impunity. Once again, however, everything falls into place, at least according to my more recent conceptualization, and the instrument responds willingly to the instrumentalist's sure touch. Not that she does not make enough attempts to make my life difficult; she has already made them and will do so again. My dispirited letter, to which you responded with valid information, was a consequence of my being taken in by the mountains of difficulties she piled in front of me. I shall be less easily fooled a second time — at least, that is my intention. She is at any rate an interesting and worthwhile person.

I am glad to be able to tell you this and greet you cordially.

Your

Sigm.