From "psychical treatment" to psychoanalysis.

Freud's early article, "Psychical (or mental) treatment," first appeared in a health textbook for educated lay people. It was included in his Gesammelte Werke with the publication date of 1905. Subsequently, this date was questioned because the text dealt mainly with hypnosis and suggestion, so James Strachey, among others, erroneously changed it to 1890. This error is corrected in the present paper. Until now, no one noticed that a second edition of the textbook, which appeared in 1918-19, contained an amended version of Freud's original article in which he added a summary of psychoanalytic theory and practice. The first edition was published in 1905-06. However, Freud's contribution must have been written at a much earlier date. Its presumed date of composition is discussed. Freud's addition to the original text is reprinted in an appendix for the first time.

Luzif Amor. 2007;20(40):122-41. Fichtner G.

Institut für Ethik und Geschichte der Medizin, Goethestr. 6, D-72076 Tübingen. gerhard.fichtner@uni-tuebingen.de