Prescription for the Wolf Man's Wife

What it is

This is a prescription handwritten by Sigmund Freud on his own letterhead, which lists his address at Berggasse 19 in Vienna and his telephone and consultation hours. It is dated 22 November 1919 and is made out for 'Frau Dr Pankejeff', the wife of Freud's patient Sergius Pankejeff, whom Freud called 'the Wolf Man'. The document is held at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C.

Why it matters

This small, everyday document is a rare glimpse into Freud's ordinary medical practice outside of his psychoanalytic theory. It shows that Freud worked as a practicing physician, treating real families connected to his most famous patients, and gives historians a direct link to the Wolf Man case.

Look closer

• What does the letterhead tell you about how Freud ran his medical practice?
• Why might a prescription for a patient's wife matter to historians studying Freud's famous cases?
• What does this document NOT tell us about Freud's psychoanalytic theories?