Page:The International Journal of Psycho-Analysis II 1921 3-4.djvu/8

 262 MICHAEL JOSEPH EISLER ^

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A particular memory was connected with her toothless mouth, |

namely that she had carefully collected the teeth she had lost, h

and preserved them under her bolster. I shall raise this again later and now mention only that it is striking that my patient possessed not a single upper incisor. Memories of the grandfather were recalled less vividly, although the earliest phenomena of transference of a specialised kind (not the above-mentioned im- personal kind) indicated him, and most probably he had been the patient's first narcissistic love-object. Robust and energetic to a great age, he had headed the family as farmers, and had managed the concern according to his own judgement. His pres- ence had put even the father into the shade, and later had made an almost undisturbed, even comradely relationship possible with his son. Actually the patient always behaved towards his father as he had seen the latter behave toward the grandfather. A mem- ory of childhood exhibited him as rescuer of the six-year-old boy from attack by a maddened bull. Another memory recalled him as priding himself as cheesemaker; he was said always to have been able to scent whether a cheese had been made by himself or his wife, which had given rise to jocular references at table. Both father and grandfather had been distinguished by a rigid sense of justice, which the patient took as symbol of independent manliness worthy of imitation. His standpoint in this respect was, as we shall find, rooted yet more deeply.

Unfortunate economic circumstances had persuaded the parents to send him at fourteen years as apprentice to a baker. When he had fully learned his craft, he had gone to the town and worked for some years under a number of employers. He had then been influenced by a favourable opportunity to make his first change of occupation; he had become laboratory assistant at a chemist's. We were able to establish that he had obviously <v(

enjoyed both these occupations; as baker he had particularly Uked ^

kneading clean dough; there moreover he had learned cookery ;

and the preparation of dishes; in the laboratory he had Avorked with zest among aromatic and scented fluids. This work too he had deserted for tram-service, following disappointment in love. For the first few years he had been a driver, and had had several street accidents. One had made a very deep impression upon him, when he had ran over a man in tlie dark, who had been literally cut in two by the car. Later he had obtained a post

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