70 Myron SharafFury On Earth
5 : Reich’s Work on the Impulsive Character: 1922-1924In later years, Reich used to speak of his work as existing outside the framework of
present-day scientific disciplines. And, indeed, Reich’s concepts of genitality and orgastic
potency were, as we shall see, rejected even by Freud, to whom Reich was first attracted pre-
cisely because of the way he addressed issues of sexuality.
This latent “outsideness” was to become apparent only over time. During the early
and mid-i92os, Reich saw himself—and was regarded by others as functioning very much
within the psychoanalytic movement.
Following Reich’s graduation from medical school in 1922, he kept up the varied
but unified effort that hadcharacterized his earlier student years. In addition to his private
practice ofanalysis,he undertook in 1922 postgraduate study in neuropsychiatry at the
University of Vienna Clinic, headed by the neuropsychiatrist Professor Wagner von Jauregg,
who later won the Nobel Prize for the malarial treatment of general paresis. Reich’s work at
this clinic gave him the opportunity to study various kinds of psychotic illnesses and stim-
ulated what would become a lifelong interest in schizophrenia. He also appreciated working
under the famed von Jauregg, although the latter was not sympathetic to psychoanalysis and
missed no opportunity to poke fun at it. It is worth noting here that as a student Reich had
the good fortune to work with the most eminent, organically oriented psychiatrist of the
period as well as the leading psychoanalyst.
Reich’s thorough professional training is notable on another count. Young people
today have picked up the anti-establishment aspects of his work, its “outsideness,” as an
excuse for not acquiring traditional education or formal training. Reich cannot be used as a
model for this kind ofrebellion. Despite his defiance of taboos, throughout his life he was
intent on learning all he could from others.
Moreover, Reich valued what he sometimes called a “good old-fashioned educa-
tion.” As a young man he was ambitious for public validation. He wanted proper credentials
as he wanted the respect ofhis peers and superiors. And for all his outspokenness on mat-
ters of principle, he could exercise discretion in order not to alienate unnecessarily those
important to him.For example,at von Jauregg’s clinic he would sometimes omit from his
patient charts mention of sexual symbolism, since to include analytic interpretations would
only invite the ridicule of his chief.
During this period,Reich also began working in the newly established Vienna
Psychoanalytic Polyclinic. He was to work part time there for eight years, initially as a first
assistant, later as assistant chief, with the senior analyst Eduard Hitschmann serving as chief