Chapter V. The Case History of Little Hans (The Infantile Neurosis)

The case of Little Hans was published in 1909 only a few months before the publication of the Rat Man case. The clinical work on both these patients had taken place one year before this and the case of the Rat Man had in fact commenced some months prior to Freud's starting work with Little Hans' father to resolve the child's phobia. This case history stands in relation to the ‘Three Essays on Sexuality’ much as the Dora case stands in relation to the ‘Traumdeutung’: namely, as a clinical addendum to the theoretical publication and intended to illustrate the theory in action in the process of psycho-analytic therapeutic work. However, the publication of the Little Hans material had more meaning for Freud than merely that of a clinical exemplification of the theory in action; for it also signified a certain vindication (and, in a sense, proof of the truth) of his theory about infantile sexuality and of the existence of the infantile neurosis. Freud seems to have looked upon the opportunity of supervising the father's treatment of his child as something extraordinary and something whose frequent repetition could be little hoped for, since he could not envisage this sort of work being carried on by anyone other than a child's parent. In retrospect, this may seem rather peculiar to those who have grown quite accustomed to the treatment of children. In fact, the absolute opposite may seem to be true today. I am always rather surprised, however, that children will tolerate psycho-analytic treatment by anybody but their parents and find the evident ease with which little Hans confided his phantasies, acted out his hostility, recounted his dreams, and included Freud as the professor who was supervising his father - indeed the ease with which the whole process was contained within family life - highly impressive, but reasonable.

To review the content of the case briefly: you will recall that some years previously, Freud had asked people whom he called ‘close adherents’ (among