Sigmund Freud's Cocain Addiction

From Letters Freud sent to his colleague Dr Fliess and to his fiancee show Freud's promotion of cocaine and his own cocaine addiction for over 10 years. Excerpts From the Freud-Fliess letters: [May 30, 1893] A short time ago I interrupted (for one hour) a severe migraine of my own with cocaine, the effect set in only after I had cocainized the opposite side [of the nose] as well. [January 24, 1895] Last time I wrote you, after a good period which immediately succeeded the reaction, that a few viciously bad days had followed during which a cocainization of the left nostril had helped me to an amazing extent. I now continue my report. The next day I kept the nose under cocaine, which one should not really do; that is I repeatedly painted it to prevent the renewed occurrence of swelling. [April 20, 1895] Today I can write because I have more hope; I pulled myself out of a miserable attack [of nasal problems] with a cocaine application. [April 26, 1895] I put a noticeable end to the last horrible attack [of nasal problems] with cocaine; since then things have been fine and a great amount of pus is coming out. [June 12, 1895] I need a lot of cocaine. [July 24, 1895] This was the occasion of Freud's dream about Irma's injection, the dream that many Freud scholars have identified as the stimulus for Frued's theory regarding dreams as wish fufillments. In reporting it in The Interpretation of Dreams Freud noted: I was making frequent use of cocaine at the time to reduce troublesome nasal swellings. In 1894 in a letter to his fiancee: Woe to you, my Princess, when I come. I will kiss you quite red and feed you till you are plump. If you are froward you shall see who is the stronger, a gentle little girl who doesn't eat enough or a big wild man who has cocaine in his body. In my last severe depression I took cocaine and a small dose lifted me to the heights in a wonderful fashion. I am just now busy collecting the literature for a song of praise to this magical substance. These excerpts are taken from Dr. E. Fuller Torrey's book Freudian Freud. http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?z=y&EAN=9780060923785&itm=2 Dr. E. Fuller Torrey began to suspect Freud's theories while attending Princeton. He has since debunked Freud and has led the fight in moving physiological causes to the forefront of Psychiatry.