Letter from Alphonse Maeder to Freud, May 12, 1910

12 May 1910

30M

[Alphonse Maeder to Freud]

Dear Professor,

I should like to inform you a little about Herr v. T's condition. He is gradually recuperating physically, getting stronger. His healthy fresh complexion annoys him; this feeling of well-being strikes him as inappropriate because it contradicts his hypochondriac tendencies. In sport and physical work he is still completely inept and infantile. He goes through the psychrophore treatment without difficulties and, as he says, successfully.

Psychically it can be seen that he has intellectual interest[s] again, he reads relatively a lot, likes discussing it with me; though he gets stuck on the complex points (ethics and denominational questions). Then his stubbornness comes very much to the fore. He has great difficulty coming out of himself. He has a good rapport with nobody here except me. His introversion is very pronounced. His depression changes, it is sometimes less deep, his world-weary expression appears much less often. He can also be diverted more easily. Once he played a Beethoven symphony with Dr. Ludwig1 with deep musical sensitivity. He has too little spontaneous initiative.

Herr v. T. talks about leaving for Vienna in eight to ten days, which seems decidedly premature. He would certainly accept your opinion. We should be very grateful to you if you would tell him or us your