You do not currently have permission to view the full text for this document. Please sign in to an account with an active subscription or contact support.
18 April [190]9.
11B
Dear Professor,
As a comment on yesterday's letter1 from our patient, I should like to let you know that Herr v. T. has fairly suddenly and categorically fixed his departure for the end of this week. I have calmly not stopped him and have indicated to him that his decision is a welcome sign of a return of his former energy. Herr J. [v. T] has in fact made a little progress of late, albeit nothing very significant yet. At any rate he has the feeling that his ‘acute depression’ has passed and only the ‘normal sick sadness’ remains. Perhaps you yourself will later establish the source of this sudden upturn. The matter is not clear to me. [The] pat[ient] was previously a little awkward (more in the sense of inaccessible) with me for a time and for a few days did not even want to know about the continuation of the treatment with you. He asked whether he could not now master his illness under his own steam. As you can see, he is now more reasonable again. As the pat[ient] has said that he has given up the suicidal intentions he had in Vienna (‘Actually a pity,’ he added) and feels he will never get quite well here, we do not think it wise to keep him here. Whether progress can now be made with the analysis, I dare not say. If Herr v. T. himself does not change his mind again, and you, Professor, raise no objection, we shall therefore let him return. Particularly in these circumstances a consultation with you here would be very agreeable, but Herr G. v. T. has already told me, you can hardly ever get away. It needs only a word from you and Frau v. T. will agree. I am sorry to let Herr v. T go just when his ‘normal’ nature is coming a little more to the forefront.
With kind regards
Yours, Ludwig Binswanger
Not known to have survived.