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Kreuzlingen, 13 April 1909
9B
Dear Professor Freud,
Herr G. v. T. will have written to you about his visit here. The patient is determined to stay on until the middle of May, when we shall be able to decide the next step. He constantly dwells on thoughts of death, but I have no fear that he will do anything to himself here. Recently he has developed a taste for reading the death notices in the newspaper in order to discover at what age people die; he has looked up firearms in the encyclopaedia, has been asking about the most reliable method of hastening death, etc., etc. At the moment he is completely taken up with the effect of having had a small boil on his leg lanced. This business has diverted him a little and he declared yesterday that he had had the best day since he has been here. I am very grateful to you for having, with the help of Herr G., persuaded the mother to go to Vienna. She will probably not be leaving until the after-effects of the great operation1 are over, perhaps at the end of the week.
I have read the analysis of little Hans2 with immense interest and have learned a great deal from it. I shall soon get down to it once again. As far as the development of my own case3 is concerned I should like best to send you the manuscript, but dare not do so because of my poor handwriting and also because of the great demands on your valuable time. Is it quite out of the question for you to come over here for a consultation once Herr v. T.'s release has to be considered? My father and I would be very happy indeed to see you. Frau v. T. would be certain to give her consent.
With kind regards,
Ever yours very sincerely, [L. Binswanger]