
NATURE 
317 

_ originates in a state of tension, which is unpleasant ; 
and, in virtue of this principle, moves towards re- 
laxation. There is a tendency towards stability. 
_ But this tendency is met and checked by a “ reality- 
principle ” to which the sane psyche must adjust itself. 
‘Nevertheless, in the long run this too makes for 
pleasure. But phenomena are observed—certain forms 
of play in children, dreams in cases of war-neuroses, 
etc.—which seem to indicate a compulsion to repeat 
unpleasurable experiences. These show in a high 
degree an instinctive character. Considering this 
‘repetition of unpleasant activity, Freud accordingly 
puts forward the speculation that instinct might be 
“a tendency innate in living organic matter impelling 
it towards the reinstatement of an earlier condition.” 
- Developing this speculation, Freud reaches the con- 
clusion that the goal of instinct, as of life itself, is 
death. Originally, again, psychoanalysts had drawn 
a sharp distinction between the “ ego-instincts ” and 
-the “sex-instincts.” How, then, could an “ ego- 
instinct ” such as that of self-preservation have death 
as its goal? The answer is found to be given in 
Narcissism. Self-preservation is in reality libidinous. 
The libido is turned upon the ego and, pro tanto, away 
from the object. Accordingly, instead of the old 
distinction between the “ ego-” and “ sex-instincts,” 
a distinction is now drawn between the “ life-” and 
*death-instincts.” These have striven together for 
“mastery from the very beginning of the emergence of 
life from the inorganic. The “ pleasure-principle ” 
marks the “ life-instincts ” with the universal tendency 
of all living matter, namely, to return to the peace of 
‘the inorganic world. The “ reinstatement-compulsion ” 
lies behind it as well as behind the “ death-instincts ” 
of the organism. 
_ Freud advances other highly ingenious and interest- 
ing speculations in his essay, of which one is a theoretical 
account of the development of the nervous system, open 
to the assaults of the exterior world only through a 
limited number of special channels which protect it 
from the prodigious energy without. But this nervous 
system is unprotected from the instinctive forces which 
arise within the body. These are not “ bound” but 
free-moving nerve processes striving for discharge ; 
and they give rise to disturbances comparable to the 
_ traumatic neuroses. 
: (2) Brill’s “ Fundamental Conceptions of Psycho- 
~ analysis ” consists of the lectures of a course given to 
students in pedagogics in the University of New York. 
It is an elementary presentation of the Freudian 
principles and doctrine, and deals with the familiar 
topics of psychoanalytic literature—forgetting, stam- 
mering, lapses, mistakes, dreams, etc. There is an 
interesting chapter on the only child, another on 
NO. 2784, VOL. I11] 



















selections of vocations. The book is diffuse, of a free- 
and-easy style, and full of Americanisms. It is pub- 
lished in England, but the type and spelling suggest 
that the plates were cast in America. 
(3) Most people come to an inductive science with 
metaphysical presuppositions of one kind or another. 
In “Studies in Psychoanalysis ” Baudouin makes a 
protest against the spirit of the systematiser, which 
has “been the bane” of the subject. The first part 
of the work is taken up with theoretical exposition. 
The second consists of 207 pages of case histories given 
in detail. The beginner is well advised, in the trans- 
lators’ preface, to commence with the cases and read 
the theory afterwards,. He will thus be in a better 
position to examine the inductions made by the author 
in the light of the facts. 
Baudouin links up psychoanalytic theory with 
general psychology. He is an eclectic, accepting 
principles from authors of widely differing views, and 
adding to them views of his own. His most personal 
contribution to the practice of psychotherapeutics is 
his conjoint use of psychoanalysis and suggestion. 
He is averse to the practice of either alone. The 
employment of the two methods together has been 
much criticised, many analysts condemning it out- 
right ; nevertheless it is difficult to see how suggestion 
can be kept out of an analysis. As the author remarks, 
“ transference ”’ is an effective relationship between the 
analyst and the patient, in which the ideoreflexes of 
suggestion occur naturally, This appears to be so; 
and therefore a controlled use of suggestion would 
seem to be reasonable. The present forms of sugges- 
tion and of analysis grew in two parallel lines of 
development from a common origin. Psychoanalysis 
was, in the first instance, practised on subjects in the 
hypnotic state. 
The histories of the cases given are interesting, and 
‘range from those of quite young children to adults. 
The book is well translated. A good glossary of 
psychoanalytical terms is provided, as well as a 
bibliography and a very complete index. 
(4) Dr. T. W. Mitchell is president of the Society 
for Psychical Research, and in his work on medical 
psychology he discusses a number of facts derived from 
abnormal and pathological psychology with the view of 
throwing light upon “ psychic ” problems. The main 
topic treated is multiple personality—for the account 
given of the appreciation of time by somnambules and 
the case of hysteria described in detail really relate to 
this. An account is given of an interesting series of 
experiments carried out by the author, which con- 
sisted in the performance of post-hypnotic suggestions 
involving the appreciation of lapse of time on the 
part of the subject. Mitchell considers that, whether 
Suk 
