Rob - I cannot speak to this with absolute certainty - just don't have the time to check references right now . . . HOWEVER, I do feel confident enough to say that this seems dazzlingly unlikely. For one thing, Frued was trained as a physician, but his focus was neurology. I've never heard the eel story that one other tipster alluded to, but I am slightly familiar with his work describing the pyramidal tracts in the human brain. These structures are involved in involuntary movement, I think - Hang on, I just checked a reference. I pulled my old undergraduate neuropsych text off the shelf because I remembered seeing a citation of this work in it. Actually, it turns out that there were several, leading me to suspect that Freud's work in neurology was probably solid stuff, perhaps even stellar. See On Aphasia (1891) for what D. Frank Benson calls "a facinating historical review." Apparently Freud also was on the right side of the compartmentalization debate and coined the term agnosia to replace the more archaic descriptor of "mindblindness." See Clinical Neuropsychology by Heilman and Valenstein (1985) for more of this. The other reason that my guts are telling me that this story cannot possibly be true is because such a notion is diametrically opposed to Freud's ideas about sexuality and his notions about what healthy attitudes about sex ought to be - namely that sex is healthy! I think that what is happening here is that the student has confused Freud with some of his medical colleagues of the time. Excision of the clitoris was considered by reputable physicians of the time to be an acceptable - if drastic - treatment for women who experienced orgasm. This was considered a dangerous and pathological response to sexual contact at that time, and pretty much any treatment was considered preferable to allowing this disorder to continue unchecked. Freud, of course, believed that sexuality was a normal, pleasurable aspect of life and did not see orgasm in men or women as a pathological response or a sign of illness. (Note: the establishment considered male orgasm unhealthy and physically draining over the long term, but it was not seen as a sign of mental illness). Your student must have heard some version of this and thought that Freud was the one who performed these surgeries. I know that hardly anyone sees Freud as the sole voice of reason in Victorian medical circles, but I really think that's a pretty accurate description of what was going on at that time. Someday I'm going to write more about this to rehabilitate his image. I think he deserves it! Hope this helps, but it may just stir up a storm of controversy from others who don't see Freud that way at all. I'll wait with interest. Cindy M.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: Freud and genital mutilation
From: "Rob Weisskirch" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Date: Tue, 05 Feb 2002 10:26:27 -0800
X-Message-Number: 5
TIPSfolk,
As I was lecturing on Freud, a student commented that Freud had performed
some genital mutilation on women. Although I think that this is probably
some twist of the Electra complex and penis envy, I thought since Freud
was a doctor/surgeon it might be possible.
Does anyone know anything about this?
Was the student just projecting his sick fantasies in class? (just
kidding).
Rob
Rob Weisskirch, MSW, Ph.D.
Human Development Program
Liberal Studies Institute, Building 15
100 Campus Center
California State University, Monterey Bay
Seaside, CA 93955-8001
(831) 582-5079
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Cynthia Bainbridge Mullis, Ph.D.
Asstistant Professor of Psychology
University of Wisconsin - Whitewater
800 West Main Street
Whitewater, WI 53190
(262) 472-3037 Office
(262) 472-1863
Office Hours - Fall 2001
MWF 11-12:00
Thurs 2:00-4:00
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