Page:The International Journal of Psycho-Analysis II 1921 3-4.djvu/21

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A MAN'S UNCONSCIOUS PHANTASY OF PREGNANCY 275

I turn now to the element of disposition in this many-sided I neurosis, and this concealed its actual formation ; it is the anal-

erotic component instinct, the enormous development of which was disclosed step by step by the analysis. To this it was that the libido had reverted which had become dissociated from its object, and so formed the group of hysterical symptoms with which we are familiar. In very early days, perhaps directly after the abrupt curtailment of oral libido, which however, as we shall see, was yet to levy tribute, anal erotism set in, in the guise of a well-marked zest for excretion. Although memory stopped short of this point, it may be taken as established on many grounds that the impulse first sought satisfaction in the act of defaecation, more especially in view of the bowel disturbance seven years ago which underwent spontaneous resolution. Indirect evidence for this could be drawn from several of the character traits already brought forward. I shall here describe two, the presence of which I have been unable to discover in psycho-analytic literature and beg that they should be interpolated at the appropriate point in Ernest Jones' excellent essay, 'The Anal-Erotic Character Traits'. The patient evinced a peculiar attitude towards time, far ex- ceeding rational limits. He was not only precise and punctual, so that he made use of every available moment, but was inclined to do two things concurrently, such as reading at meals or in the lavatory, or concentrated thinking on a walk, etc. This typical character trait, which might be named after Caesar's historical peculiarity, can be directly traced to the pleasurable tendency of the child to perform the major and minor operations contempor- aneously. And actually in this case, urethral erotism could be shown to exist in connection with anal erotism. Below, I shall aaain call attention to this characteristic in connection with the analysis of his death phantasies. He associated this characteristic

to do two things at the same time — with the urgent impulse

'' to do anything he undertook 'completely', from which a thor-

■;; ou^hly virile and effective behaviour in life ensued. This last trait

I also explains his strong inclination for 'complete', i.e. unused,

things, such as clothes. People of such a kind are ashamed, for

S instance, to wear mended garments. The voluptuous interest in

the act of defaecation was later more vigorously assimilated and

worked up into peculiarities of character than that in the excreta

themselves, which would rather indicate inertia of libido. Several