Freud’s addiction led to a diagnosis of cancer in 1923. Sixteen years of treatment and thirty-three operations followed, accompanied by terrible physical discomfort. In 1929 Freud underwent his second operation in which the majority of his upper palate was removed. His nasal cavity was left open to the mouth, requiring an oral prosthesis that Freud nicknamed ‘the monster’. This was specially made in order to allow him to speak and eat. The prosthesis did not fit well and had to be modified repeatedly. It caused irritation and persistent ulceration to the soft tissues of the mouth.
As a result of another badly conducted operation, Freud’s ability to open his mouth was limited and he was only able to smoke his cigars by forcing open his teeth with a clothes peg. The prosthesis and the clothes peg are still kept in the drawers of Freud’s desk.
It seems amazing that throughout all this Freud continued to smoke, but that was the nature of his addiction. Before he died his thoughts were still on his cigars: ‘Your seventy-second birthday finds us on the verge of separating after long years of living together’ he wrote to his brother Alexander. ‘I would like you to take over the good cigars which have been accumulating with me over the years, as you can still indulge in such pleasure, I no longer.’
Reply With Quote