Pacific to the Atlantic, but that I wanted him to write to me much
more about that first occurrence. As he was evidently right in
considering that episode as the starting point of his troublesome
associations, I supposed that these associated ideas had not yet
become independent but were still the effect of that first
"complex." Therefore I wanted to bring that to complete discharge.
Accordingly I wrote him to think himself once more into that
happening of years ago, to pass through it with all the power of
his imagination, to describe it to me then in as full a statement
as possible and to express in the letter also his conviction that
there was no reason to avoid the eyes of his superior, that he
might have looked straight into his face. As soon as he got my
reply, he wrote to me on the sixth of February a description of
that first episode, filling nineteen pages, telling me all about
his relations to those various men and every minute detail was
brought clearly to consciousness again. I did not add anything
further, but the expected occurred. On the eighteenth of February,
he writes to me: "In the last week or ten days, the writer has
noted a decided improvement regarding mental condition. The result
is a new interest in life. If you can spare the time, would like to
have you write me a few lines. Gratefully yours." At the end of the
month he writes: "Received your letter about half an hour ago.
Hasten to assure you with a great deal of pleasure that I am
feeling much better. Since sending you the letter regarding the
first case, I have noticed day by day an improvement." On the
eighth of March: "Since writing you last I have noticed a gradual
improvement. It has given me wonderful encouragement." On the tenth
of March: "Just a line to say that I am still improving." On the
twelfth of April: "I desire to say that since the taking up of
treatment with you, life has had a far different appearance to me
than it has had for the last ten years." On the twenty-first of
April: "Since my first letter to you, there has been such an
improvement that I have accepted a position which carries with it
much responsibility."

This case leads over to the large group in which the obsessing idea
involves the relation to a particular person. I find in such cases
autosu