The New York herald., 1921-01-23
PSYCHOANALYSIS
WAVE IN ENGLAND
FULLOF DANGERS
Physicians and Scholars
Alarmed by Extended
Use Of Remedy
MANY WOMEN ADOPT FAD
Theory Is That Sins and NAL
aides Come From Old Men
tai Shock or Wound.

Special Cable to TIE NEW York HERALD.
Copyright, 1891, 1u THE NEW York HERALD
New York Herald Bureau,
London. Jan. 22.
The new mental cure known as
bsychoanalysis has attained such q
wavo Of popularity in England since
the war that physicians and clear
thinking scholars have become alarmed
and are protesting vigorously against
an indiscriminate use Of this remedy"
in which they see considerably moro
danger than benefit.
The fact that psychoanalysis was
used by the War Office in the treat
ment of shell shock is used as an ar
gument by its followers. BuU physi-
clans are pointing out that the danger
lies in its use by incompetent persons
or those bent upon fraud or black
mailing. The danger is said to be
doubly great because the fad is enjoy
ing It's widest popularity among wom-
en-, who are said to be more easily VIC
timized than men. The craze has even
reached the stage where school teach
ers have been known to advise their
pupils to visit psychoanalyst to cure
them of their naughtiness.
Briefly, the new theory is built upon
the supposition that all sins and mala-
dies come from some forgotten mental
shock or wound perhaps in childhood
or In the life Of the parents. This
wound Is supposed to lie hidden In the
subconscious mind, and to cure II it Is
70 arh nbQrtira nlarC.
How the scheme Il Worked.
The best way to do this. the psyche
analysts argue, Is for the patient to write
down all dreams Immediately upon
awakening and take them to the psychic
doctor, who then discovers from them
the date and nature of the malady
When the patient learns this and finds
out what sort Of a subconscious nature
ne has he Is supposed to become invul-
nerable to sin and mental suffering
The dangers -ef the system are clear
II brought out by Il. X. Torrance in a
communication to the Daily Mail In
which he says in part:
According to Freud (the originator
Of the 'science) and his followers,
dreams do not mean what they seem
to mean, but are mainly symbolic--the
symbols having to do in the majority
OF instances with the matters of sex.
Probing into the patients dream
world and involuntary thoughts. the
analyst digs away, bringing to light all
kinds Of childish. forgotten shames hid
den desires. acts on which merciful
oblivion had descended till the whole
emotional life OF the patient is laid bare.
And further, there appears in the course
OF this performance a phenomenon
which is known as transference. or this
Freud himself has said: a whole series
OF earlier experiences are revived, not
as past ones, but In the form of current
relation to the person Of the physician
The patient relives,' says another
phychoanalyst, many OF his forgotten
or hitherto unrecognized feelings toward
persons who have been in intimate or
significant relation to him. Or, OF
course (and more usually, to her.
Delicate situation Results.
ut Is not surprising says the same
writer, that delicate and difficult situa-
ton Is created
"Tt Is Just these difficulties says
Freud. that render us the invaluable
service of making the patients buried
and forgotten love eXcitations current
and manifest After this it Is not sur
prising to learn that the patient may
prolong the treatment through uncon-
scious and conscious desires for further
intimacy with the analyst and through
that intimacy for further qualification of
old desires and fantasies
THAT, I should ina agine, Is sufficiently
startling. But there is something more
startling still. There Is absolutely Moth
ing 10 hinder any one who chooses TO
learn the jargon from setting up as an
analyst.
so fine an opportunity for blackmail-
ers and all the baser adventurers has
never before been offered in the name of
science"
As yet. however. these protests have
had little effect In discouraging the
growing army OF psychoanalysis thrill
Views of n Medical Man.
A clear statement of how the psycho-
analyst works is published In tho Daily
HoiL The writer. who signs himself
"A Medical Man." says that no has
seriously and feels qualified to give a
simple Idea OF what the subject means
Since the dawn OF the historical period
the human race has been trying 20 SUD-
press its primary instincts, the writer
says. These are TO feed oneself. to de-
fcnd onesel. and to reproduce oneself.
THE last of these Is appallingly pow
crtul. the writer continues. ITO feed
and defend oneself are subsidiary to the
great end In View OF the Individual 10
reproduce his kind. IL we consider for
a moment we see that this INSTR ct
colors our every action, conscious or
otherwise.
Some of us are 80 pureminded that
we receive such suggestion with
scorn. We thrust sexual thoughts aside
but IN spite of these repressions the
healthy minded of us usually succeed
in 'mothering' or fathering' something.
I'VE assume. then, that the sexual in
stlnct, like murder. will out. II II IL re-
fused natural egress II will find another
outlet (the best that can happen) or
will secthe within the mind and disturb
other centres OF action In this way II Is
supposed TO give rise to our otherwise
unaccountable anxietles, breads and so
forth.
The psychoanalylst endeavors TO lib
crate this suppressed and disturbing
thought, which Is not so much thought
~ an impression. lie brings this dis