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.
338A
Allenstein
19 May 1918
Dear Professor,
Your birthday has passed without your receiving a sign of life from me. My good wishes are no less sincere for being belated! At the beginning of May I went from the Psychiatric Congress in Würzburg to Bremen, where I found my mother gravely ill, so gravely that I dared not risk leaving for days on end. It was a complete failure of heart and kidneys, severe oedemas, and also a malignant tumour was suspected. It was only because I could not stay any longer that I went back to Allenstein. In the meantime she is for the moment out of danger, but her weakness is still very serious. I still receive news of her progress every day by telegram or express letter. You will not be angry with me that in these circumstances I postponed writing.
Otherwise we are getting on well here. We have settled down in our very primitive new accommodation. The big garden is a paradise for the children. My private work has recently increased. I do two hours of analysis daily and shall shortly be doing three. One of them, a case of obsessional neurosis, is improving very nicely.
For the children's holidays, which begin as early as the end of June, I shall probably take leave. Where we are going is still uncertain, but the present travelling circumstances oblige us to remain within the province.
I spent a few wonderful days in Würzburg enjoying art and natural scenery to the full. Apart from its architecture, Würzburg offers exceptional beauties of mediaeval and later sculpture. One evening, incidentally, I made the acquaintance of our critic Isserlin1 in a small circle of colleagues. He sat opposite me and at once paid tribute to Ψα by upsetting his glass. In other ways too I found him rather neurotic; I was also astonished to find he is of our race.
I have not yet managed to get around to writing the reviews on Pötzl and Simmel for the ; perhaps soon!
For a long time I have heard nothing from you and all the Viennese. I wrote a card to Sachs from