ff. In reality, the rupture was apparent merely, and
was simulated to escape the teasing. In secret, they continued to meet.
Whereas regarding the girl few details were at my disposal, I had a good
deal of information about the boy. It was astonishing how many excuses
he made to deceive his relatives. Sometimes he was supposed to be
writing his home-lessons, sometimes to be at a gymnastic lesson or at
church, when in reality he was with his girl friend. It had been
observed before that the boy occasionally played with his genital
organs. Since a complete separation from the girl gave rise in the boy
to a state of profound depression, followed by his paying attentions to
a somewhat older girl living in his house, his parents now sought my
advice. The boy proved to be extremely susceptible to hypnotism and to
hypnotic suggestion, and it was remarkable how rapidly a complete change
in his demeanour was effected. Since then I have seen the boy
occasionally, the last time being when he was about fifteen and a half
years of age. There had been no return of the sexual tendencies
previously observed. Quite recently, indeed, he had been known to
masturbate occasionally; and it was for this reason that he was again
brought to consult me. But for four years previously, notwithstanding
the fact that he had been very carefully watched, no improper conduct
had been detected. Undoubtedly, the recent practice of masturbation
would have escaped notice, had not the parents been made very anxious by
the earlier experiences. No special treatment was now undertaken, since
it appeared that there was nothing more amiss than is observed in
average boys of his age; symptoms which in most cases disappear
spontaneously, and without treatment.

A short account must also be given here of the method of Breuer and
Freud, or the psycho-analytic method. It is true that this method is
applicable to adults only, but its aim is to relieve the ill effects of
sexual experiences during childhood. I have before pointed out that in
Freud's view four neuroses always result from previous sexual
experiences; and two of these, hysteria and compulsion-neuroses
(_Zwangsneurose_) are considered by him to depend upon sexual
experiences during childhood. Freud, who originally worked out this
method in co-operation with Breuer, but subsequently further developed
it by himself, assumes that the hysterical symptoms which result from
the noxious influences of sexual experi