Hmm. Interesting. In graduate school, I was also under the impression Freud died of mouth cancer. Upon further reading today, yes, he had mouth cancer, but died from physician assisted suicide with an overdose of morphine. Wonder why that was left out in class? Thanks to the internet, I learned something new. By mid-September 1939, Freuds cancer of the jaw was causing him increasingly severe pain and had been declared to be inoperable. The last book he read, Balzacs La Peau de Chagrin, prompted reflections on his own increasing frailty and a few days later he turned to his doctor, friend and fellow refugee, Max Schur, reminding him that they had previously discussed the terminal stages of his illness: Schur, you remember our contract not to leave me in the lurch when the time had come. Now it is nothing but torture and makes no sense. When Schur replied that he had not forgotten, Freud said, I thank you, and then Talk it over with Anna, and if she thinks its right, then make an end of it. Anna Freud wanted to postpone her fathers death, but Schur convinced her it was pointless to keep him alive and on 21 and 22 September administered doses of morphine that resulted in Freuds death on 23 September 1939.
Posted on: Sat, 13 Sep 2014 21:33:41 +0000