Page:Freud - Selected papers on hysteria and other psychoneuroses.djvu/223

Rh rhythmic intervals and with increasing difficulty in breathing one reaches a height, and may come down again in a few rapid jumps. Thus the rhythm of coitus is recognizable in climbing stairs. Let us not forget to consider the usage of language. It shows us that the "climbing" or "mounting" is, without further addition, used as a substitutive designation of the sexual act. In French the step of the stair is called "la marche"; "un vieux marcheur" corresponds exactly to our "an old climber." Concerning another interesting symbol, the one of "rescuing" and its changed significance you will find a description in our publication. But I am forced to stop here else I shall not come to the other points.

Everyone of you will convince himself from his own experience how different it is to face a new case after you have examined the structure of some typical case. Now suppose we could put together under a few formulae the lawful in the structure of the neuroses, just as we succeeded in doing with the symptom formation of hysteria. How secured our prognostic judgment would thereby become! Indeed just as the obstetrician discovers from the inspection of the placenta whether it is completely expelled or whether harmful remnants are still left behind, so, independent of the result and the occasional state of the patient we could say whether we definitely succeeded in our work, or whether we must expect relapses or new symptoms.

(b) I hasten to the innovations in the technical spheres where the most part is still to be definitely confirmed, and where much is just now beginning to become clear. The psychoanalytic technique has now two objects in view, to save the physician effort, and to open to the patient the broadest avenue to his unconscious. You know that an important change has taken place in our technique. When we practised the cathartic treatment our aim was to explain the symptoms; next, we turned away from the symptoms, and aimed at the discovery of the "complexes"—a word that was made indispensable by Jung—; and now we turn our work directly to the discovery and the overcoming of the "resistances," justly trusting that the complexes will readily surrender with the recognition and the overcoming of the resistances. Some of you have since then shown a desire to look over and classify these resistances. I would therefore ask you to examine your