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Hermine Hug-Hellmuth—A Neglected Pioneer in Child Psychoanalysis
LEITERS TO THE EDITOR Letters to the Editor will be considered for publication. Such letters must be signed by all authors. Letters should, in general, not exceed 500 words. All letters are subject to editing and shortening. The Editor reserves the right to publish replies and solicit responses. Letters should be typed double-spaced, and submitted in duplicate to Melvin Lewis, M.D., Editor, Journal of the American Academy of Child Psychiatry, 333 Cedar Street, New Haven, CT 06510. A Case for Routine Laboratory Tests To the Editor: The week I received my January issue of JAACP was the same week the internist confirmed my patient’s diagnosis of Wilson’s disease. It was the abnormally high transaminase levels on the initial routine hospital screening that first prompted the long search. Consequently, the article by Drs. Gabel and Hsu, “Routine Laboratory Tests in the Adolescent Psychiatry Inpatient” was of particular interest. In this adolescent the diagnosis was unsuspected at admission since there were no physical symptoms and no neurological symptoms. I cannot say the Wilson’s Disease would not have been found without the initial screening tests, but that is possible. Symptoms of “gastroenteritis” occurred later during the hospitalization. These might have lead to the findings of abnormal hepatic functioning, but it was helpful to have already been alerted to this. Moreover, if the patient had received psychotropic medication, the abnormalities might have been attributed to these. You just never know what will turn up; therefore I vote for continuing routine screening tests, even for apparently healthy aqolescents. Frank E. Crumley, M.D.
Reference GABEL,S. & Hsu, L. K. G. (1986), Routine laboratory tests in adolescent psychiatric inpatients: their value in making psychiatric diagnoses and in detecting medical disorders. This Journal, 25:113-120.
Hermine Hug-Hellmuth-A Neglected Pioneer in Child Psychoanalysis To the Editor: I realize that it is very difficult to describe the history of child psychoanalysis within a few short pages, and I believe that E. James Anthony has done an admirable job in the brief essay that he wrote in the twenty-fifth anniversary issue of the Journal 579
(25:8-11,1986).However, I have some concern about the historical accuracy of some of the statements that he made about Hermine Hug-Hellmuth and her position in the early history of child psychoanalysis. He does state that “Hug-Hellmuth was the first to make a systematic analysis of children.” However, there is some inaccuracy in the statement that “Following the case of Hans, there was a lag in further therapeutic development with the exception of attempts to apply psychoanalytic principles: (1)to the understanding of children in residential settings . .. ,(2) the reeducation of delinquents . . . , and (3) to education in general.” It is a fact that there was very little lag because, Hug-Hellmuth, the world’s first child psychoanalyst, began her psychoanalytic work in about 1910 or 1911. Her first psychoanalytic publications in child psychoanalysis appeared in the established psychoanalytic literature of the day in 1912. In 1912 she published six articles on related child psychoanalytic topics. Over the years from 1912 to 1924 she published in excess of 30 papers, monographs and books on child psychoanalysis, child development and the family. In reading her work, which until recently, has remained largely untranslated from German, one sees that she was the first to make use of play in a symbolic sense in child analysis, and the first to pursue child psychoanalysis toward therapeutic goals and the first to advocate psychoanalytic child observation (see bibliography). It is certain that she had a strong basis in education, as prior to her psychoanalytic training she was both a primary and a secondary school teacher before obtaining a doctorate degree from the University of Vienna in 1909.Thus we see that she was an active practicing child psychoanalyst and a prolific writer long before Anna Freud or Melanie Klein were practicing child psychoanalysis or publishing in this area. I think it is inaccurate of Dr. Anthony to state that “Very soon Hug-Hellmuth faded into the background.” Dr. Hug-Hellmuth did not fade into the background, she was suddenly removed! She was murdered in 1924 at the peak of her career. Not only was she an active lecturer in the period of time preceding her death, she was an active director of various teaching programs within the “Amblutorium”of the Vienna Psychoanalytic Society. In addition, it is well known that she taught in Berlin in 1920. She preceded both Anna Freud and Melanie Klein by many years, and I feel that sufficient recognition is not being given to this fact. Probably with her murder in 1924 and with the advent of Anna Freud becoming active as a child
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LETTERS TO EDITOR
psychoanalyst and Melanie Klein beginning her work, Hug-Hellmuth‘s contributions were no longer recognized. In addition, in reviewing the literature, it appears as if both Anna Freud and Melanie Klein did not give reference to Hug-Hellmuth except, somewhat in the manner of James Anthony, to impute that her early contributions did not reach their stature. However, it is obvious that her early contributions were primary and that her early work preceded and anticipated the later work of Anna Freud and Melanie Klein. Certainly there was no dispute that both went on and with the many decades that they had left in their lives as professional child psychoanalysts and academicians they contributed to the history and the development of the child psychoanalytic movement to a far greater degree than did Hug-Hellmuth. However, I feel that proper and sufficient respect should be given to the world’s first child psychoanalyst. She contributed a great deal more to the early body of knowledge of child psychoanalysis than the world seems to have given her credit for to date. George MacLean, M.D., F.R.C.P.C University of Ottawa Ontario, Canada
Bibliography The Published Works of Dr. Hermine Hug-Hellmuth HUG-HELLMUTH, H. (1912), Analyse eines Traumes eines Funfeinhalbjahrigen (The analysis of a dream of a 5Yz-year-old boy). Zentralbl. Psychoanal. Psychother., 2:122-127. -Beitrage zum Kapital “Verschreiben” und “Verlesen” (Contributions to the subject “lapses in writing and reading.“ Zentralbl. Psychoanal. Psychother., 2227-280. -(1912), “Versprechen” eines kleinen Schuljungen (“A lapse of speech” in a small schoolboy).Zentralbl. Psychoanal. Psychother., 2:603-604. - (1912), Vom wahren Wesen der Kinderseele: Das Kind un seine Vorstellung vom Tode (The true nature of the child’s psyche: the child’s concept of death). Imago, 1:285-298. (Trans. A. Kris (1965), Psychonal. Qwrt., 34499-516.) - (1912), Uber Farbenhoren: ein Versuch das Phanomen auf Grund der psycho-analytichen Methode zu Erklaren (On hearing colors: an attempt to clarify the phenomenon on the basics of psychoanalytical methods). Imago, 1:288-264. - (1913), Zur weiblichen Masterbation (On female masterbation.) Zentralbl. Psychoanul. Psychother., 317-25. -(1913), Am dem Seelenleben &s Kindes. Eine Psychoanalytische Studie (The Mental Life of the Child: A Psychanalytic Study), ed. S. Freud. Leipzig-Wein: F. Deuticke. (Translated by J. Putnam & M. Stevens. Washington, D.C.: Nervous and Mental Disease Publishing Co., 1919.) Reprints Johnson Reprint Corp., New York, 1970. Also in Part 1. Psychoanal. Quart. (1918), 55392; Parts I1 and 111 (1918), 5193-227; Parts IV and V (1918), 5:291-322, Parts VI and VII (1918), 5398-427; Parts VIII and IX (1919), 6:65-68. -(1913), Vom wahren Wesen der Kinderseele: uber erste Kindheitserinnerungen (On the true nature of the child’s psyche: on the first memories of childhood). Imago, 2:78-88. -(1913), Claire Henrika Weber: “Liddy.” Imago, 2521-523. -(1913) Mutterliebe (Mother love). Imago, 22:523-524.
- (1913),
Vom wahren Wesen der Kinderseele (On the true nature of the child’s psyche). Sexwlprobleme, 9433-443. -(1913). Kindertraume (Children’s dreams). Int. Z. Arzl. Psyc h o h m ~i~70-475. , -(1913). Ein Weibliches Geeenstuck (zuRank Ein Beitrap:zur infantilen Sexualitat) (A femile coun&rpart to Rank’s “Acontribution to infantile sexuality”). Zentralbl. Psychoanal. Psychother., 1:371-372. - (1913), Kindervergehen und Unarten (Child misdemeanors and naughtiness). Zentralbl. Psychoanal. Psychother., 1:372-375. -(1914), Vom wahren Wessen der Kinderseele: “Gott und Vater” (On the true nature of the child’s psyche: God and father). Imago, 3:89. - (1914), Vom wahren Wessen des Kinderseele: Kinderbriefe (The true nature of the child’s psyche: children’s letters). Imago, 3~462-476. -(1914), Kinderpsychologie, Padagogik (Child psychology, pedagogy). Jahrb. Psychoanalyt. Psychpathor Forshungen Jahrb. Psychoanal., 6393-404. -(1915), Ein Traum der sich Selbst (A dream about oneself). Znt. Z. Anzl. Psychoanal., 3:33-35. -(1915), Die Kriegneurose des Kinde (War neurosis in children). Pester Loyd, 6.3.15 Marz (62.Jg.,NR65). (1915), Die Kriegneurose der Frau (War neurosis in women). Geschl. Geselkch., 9505-514. -(1915), Einige Beziehungen zwischen Erotik und Mathematik (Some relations between eroticism and mathematics). Imago, 452-68. -(1915), Ein Fall von weiblichem Fuss, richter Stiefel-fetischismus (A case of female foot fetishism, or rather, shoe fetishism). Zentralbl. Psychoanal. Psychother., 3:111-114. -(1917), Vom wahren Wesen der Kinderseele: von fruhen Lieben und Hassen (The true nature of the child psyche: on early learning and maturity). Imago, 5121-122. - (1917), Mutter-Sohn, Vater-Tochter (Mother-son, fatherdaughter). Imago, 5129-131. - (1919), Tagebuch eines Halbwuchsigen Madchens (A Young Girl’s Diary),Liepzig-Wein: Internationaler Psychanalytisher Verlag. preface by S. Freud. (Trans. E Paul & C. Paul, George Allen & Irwins Ltd., London, 1921.) (1920), On the technique of the analysis of children. (Abstract from the Proceedings of the Sixth International Psychoanalytic Congress, Sept. 8-11, 1920.) Int. J. Psychoanal, 1:361-362. (1920), Child psychology and education (trans. by B. Low). Znt. J. Psychoanal., 1:316-323. (1920), Zur Technik der Kinderanalyse (The technique of child analysis). Zentralbl. Psychoanal. Psychother., 7179-197. (1921), Vom wahren Wesen der Kinderseele: vom “mittleren” Kind (The true nature of the child’s psyche: the “middle” child). Imago, 784-94. (1921), Psychoanalytische Erkentnisse uber die Frau (Psychoanalytic findings about women).Arch. Frauenkd. Eugenet., 7130138. -(1921), Correspondence between reviewer of his book (A Young Girl’s Diary)and H. Hug-Hellmuth. Brit. Med. J. Psychol., 2257258. - (1923), Die Bedeutung der Familie fur das Schicksal des Einzelnen (The importance of the family for the fate of the individual). Z. Sexualwisseinsch., 9321-334. -(1924), Die libidinose Struktur des Familienlebens (The libidinal structure of the family). Z. Sexwlwissensch., 11:169-177. -(1924), Kinderpsychologie und Padogogik (Child Psychology and Pedagogy).In: Bericht uber die Fortschritte &r Psychoanalyse in den Jahren 1914-1919. (Beiheft der Internationalen Zeitscrift fur Psychoanalyse No. 3), ed. S. Freud. Leipzig-Wein-Zurich International Psychoanalytischer Verlag, pp. 244-257. -(1924), Neve Wege zum Verstandnis der Jungend. Psychoanalytische Vorlesungen fur Eltern, Lerher, Erzielen, Kindergartnerinnen und Fursongeninnen (New Paths to the Understanding of Youth. Psychoanalytical Lectures for Parents, Teachers, Educators, Kindergarten Teachers and Social Workers). LeipzigWien: F. Deuticke. ~
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Reference GABEL,S. & Hsu, L. K. G. (1986), Routine laboratory tests in adolescent psychiatric inpatients: their value in making psychiatric diagnoses and in detecting medical disorders. This Journal, 25:113-120.
Hermine Hug-Hellmuth-A Neglected Pioneer in Child Psychoanalysis To the Editor: I realize that it is very difficult to describe the history of child psychoanalysis within a few short pages, and I believe that E. James Anthony has done an admirable job in the brief essay that he wrote in the twenty-fifth anniversary issue of the Journal 579
(25:8-11,1986).However, I have some concern about the historical accuracy of some of the statements that he made about Hermine Hug-Hellmuth and her position in the early history of child psychoanalysis. He does state that “Hug-Hellmuth was the first to make a systematic analysis of children.” However, there is some inaccuracy in the statement that “Following the case of Hans, there was a lag in further therapeutic development with the exception of attempts to apply psychoanalytic principles: (1)to the understanding of children in residential settings . .. ,(2) the reeducation of delinquents . . . , and (3) to education in general.” It is a fact that there was very little lag because, Hug-Hellmuth, the world’s first child psychoanalyst, began her psychoanalytic work in about 1910 or 1911. Her first psychoanalytic publications in child psychoanalysis appeared in the established psychoanalytic literature of the day in 1912. In 1912 she published six articles on related child psychoanalytic topics. Over the years from 1912 to 1924 she published in excess of 30 papers, monographs and books on child psychoanalysis, child development and the family. In reading her work, which until recently, has remained largely untranslated from German, one sees that she was the first to make use of play in a symbolic sense in child analysis, and the first to pursue child psychoanalysis toward therapeutic goals and the first to advocate psychoanalytic child observation (see bibliography). It is certain that she had a strong basis in education, as prior to her psychoanalytic training she was both a primary and a secondary school teacher before obtaining a doctorate degree from the University of Vienna in 1909.Thus we see that she was an active practicing child psychoanalyst and a prolific writer long before Anna Freud or Melanie Klein were practicing child psychoanalysis or publishing in this area. I think it is inaccurate of Dr. Anthony to state that “Very soon Hug-Hellmuth faded into the background.” Dr. Hug-Hellmuth did not fade into the background, she was suddenly removed! She was murdered in 1924 at the peak of her career. Not only was she an active lecturer in the period of time preceding her death, she was an active director of various teaching programs within the “Amblutorium”of the Vienna Psychoanalytic Society. In addition, it is well known that she taught in Berlin in 1920. She preceded both Anna Freud and Melanie Klein by many years, and I feel that sufficient recognition is not being given to this fact. Probably with her murder in 1924 and with the advent of Anna Freud becoming active as a child
580
LETTERS TO EDITOR
psychoanalyst and Melanie Klein beginning her work, Hug-Hellmuth‘s contributions were no longer recognized. In addition, in reviewing the literature, it appears as if both Anna Freud and Melanie Klein did not give reference to Hug-Hellmuth except, somewhat in the manner of James Anthony, to impute that her early contributions did not reach their stature. However, it is obvious that her early contributions were primary and that her early work preceded and anticipated the later work of Anna Freud and Melanie Klein. Certainly there was no dispute that both went on and with the many decades that they had left in their lives as professional child psychoanalysts and academicians they contributed to the history and the development of the child psychoanalytic movement to a far greater degree than did Hug-Hellmuth. However, I feel that proper and sufficient respect should be given to the world’s first child psychoanalyst. She contributed a great deal more to the early body of knowledge of child psychoanalysis than the world seems to have given her credit for to date. George MacLean, M.D., F.R.C.P.C University of Ottawa Ontario, Canada
Bibliography The Published Works of Dr. Hermine Hug-Hellmuth HUG-HELLMUTH, H. (1912), Analyse eines Traumes eines Funfeinhalbjahrigen (The analysis of a dream of a 5Yz-year-old boy). Zentralbl. Psychoanal. Psychother., 2:122-127. -Beitrage zum Kapital “Verschreiben” und “Verlesen” (Contributions to the subject “lapses in writing and reading.“ Zentralbl. Psychoanal. Psychother., 2227-280. -(1912), “Versprechen” eines kleinen Schuljungen (“A lapse of speech” in a small schoolboy).Zentralbl. Psychoanal. Psychother., 2:603-604. - (1912), Vom wahren Wesen der Kinderseele: Das Kind un seine Vorstellung vom Tode (The true nature of the child’s psyche: the child’s concept of death). Imago, 1:285-298. (Trans. A. Kris (1965), Psychonal. Qwrt., 34499-516.) - (1912), Uber Farbenhoren: ein Versuch das Phanomen auf Grund der psycho-analytichen Methode zu Erklaren (On hearing colors: an attempt to clarify the phenomenon on the basics of psychoanalytical methods). Imago, 1:288-264. - (1913), Zur weiblichen Masterbation (On female masterbation.) Zentralbl. Psychoanul. Psychother., 317-25. -(1913), Am dem Seelenleben &s Kindes. Eine Psychoanalytische Studie (The Mental Life of the Child: A Psychanalytic Study), ed. S. Freud. Leipzig-Wein: F. Deuticke. (Translated by J. Putnam & M. Stevens. Washington, D.C.: Nervous and Mental Disease Publishing Co., 1919.) Reprints Johnson Reprint Corp., New York, 1970. Also in Part 1. Psychoanal. Quart. (1918), 55392; Parts I1 and 111 (1918), 5193-227; Parts IV and V (1918), 5:291-322, Parts VI and VII (1918), 5398-427; Parts VIII and IX (1919), 6:65-68. -(1913), Vom wahren Wesen der Kinderseele: uber erste Kindheitserinnerungen (On the true nature of the child’s psyche: on the first memories of childhood). Imago, 2:78-88. -(1913), Claire Henrika Weber: “Liddy.” Imago, 2521-523. -(1913) Mutterliebe (Mother love). Imago, 22:523-524.
- (1913),
Vom wahren Wesen der Kinderseele (On the true nature of the child’s psyche). Sexwlprobleme, 9433-443. -(1913). Kindertraume (Children’s dreams). Int. Z. Arzl. Psyc h o h m ~i~70-475. , -(1913). Ein Weibliches Geeenstuck (zuRank Ein Beitrap:zur infantilen Sexualitat) (A femile coun&rpart to Rank’s “Acontribution to infantile sexuality”). Zentralbl. Psychoanal. Psychother., 1:371-372. - (1913), Kindervergehen und Unarten (Child misdemeanors and naughtiness). Zentralbl. Psychoanal. Psychother., 1:372-375. -(1914), Vom wahren Wessen der Kinderseele: “Gott und Vater” (On the true nature of the child’s psyche: God and father). Imago, 3:89. - (1914), Vom wahren Wessen des Kinderseele: Kinderbriefe (The true nature of the child’s psyche: children’s letters). Imago, 3~462-476. -(1914), Kinderpsychologie, Padagogik (Child psychology, pedagogy). Jahrb. Psychoanalyt. Psychpathor Forshungen Jahrb. Psychoanal., 6393-404. -(1915), Ein Traum der sich Selbst (A dream about oneself). Znt. Z. Anzl. Psychoanal., 3:33-35. -(1915), Die Kriegneurose des Kinde (War neurosis in children). Pester Loyd, 6.3.15 Marz (62.Jg.,NR65). (1915), Die Kriegneurose der Frau (War neurosis in women). Geschl. Geselkch., 9505-514. -(1915), Einige Beziehungen zwischen Erotik und Mathematik (Some relations between eroticism and mathematics). Imago, 452-68. -(1915), Ein Fall von weiblichem Fuss, richter Stiefel-fetischismus (A case of female foot fetishism, or rather, shoe fetishism). Zentralbl. Psychoanal. Psychother., 3:111-114. -(1917), Vom wahren Wesen der Kinderseele: von fruhen Lieben und Hassen (The true nature of the child psyche: on early learning and maturity). Imago, 5121-122. - (1917), Mutter-Sohn, Vater-Tochter (Mother-son, fatherdaughter). Imago, 5129-131. - (1919), Tagebuch eines Halbwuchsigen Madchens (A Young Girl’s Diary),Liepzig-Wein: Internationaler Psychanalytisher Verlag. preface by S. Freud. (Trans. E Paul & C. Paul, George Allen & Irwins Ltd., London, 1921.) (1920), On the technique of the analysis of children. (Abstract from the Proceedings of the Sixth International Psychoanalytic Congress, Sept. 8-11, 1920.) Int. J. Psychoanal, 1:361-362. (1920), Child psychology and education (trans. by B. Low). Znt. J. Psychoanal., 1:316-323. (1920), Zur Technik der Kinderanalyse (The technique of child analysis). Zentralbl. Psychoanal. Psychother., 7179-197. (1921), Vom wahren Wesen der Kinderseele: vom “mittleren” Kind (The true nature of the child’s psyche: the “middle” child). Imago, 784-94. (1921), Psychoanalytische Erkentnisse uber die Frau (Psychoanalytic findings about women).Arch. Frauenkd. Eugenet., 7130138. -(1921), Correspondence between reviewer of his book (A Young Girl’s Diary)and H. Hug-Hellmuth. Brit. Med. J. Psychol., 2257258. - (1923), Die Bedeutung der Familie fur das Schicksal des Einzelnen (The importance of the family for the fate of the individual). Z. Sexualwisseinsch., 9321-334. -(1924), Die libidinose Struktur des Familienlebens (The libidinal structure of the family). Z. Sexwlwissensch., 11:169-177. -(1924), Kinderpsychologie und Padogogik (Child Psychology and Pedagogy).In: Bericht uber die Fortschritte &r Psychoanalyse in den Jahren 1914-1919. (Beiheft der Internationalen Zeitscrift fur Psychoanalyse No. 3), ed. S. Freud. Leipzig-Wein-Zurich International Psychoanalytischer Verlag, pp. 244-257. -(1924), Neve Wege zum Verstandnis der Jungend. Psychoanalytische Vorlesungen fur Eltern, Lerher, Erzielen, Kindergartnerinnen und Fursongeninnen (New Paths to the Understanding of Youth. Psychoanalytical Lectures for Parents, Teachers, Educators, Kindergarten Teachers and Social Workers). LeipzigWien: F. Deuticke. ~
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