Overcoming bashfulness: how cocaine aided Freud to summon the courage to meet Charcot

Abstract

Jean-Martin Charcot, the most celebrated neurologist of the 19th century, had a profound influence on Sigmund Freud's career. Freud spent the winter of 1885-1886 working in Charcot's neurology department in Paris. During this period, he went to Charcot's house on several occasions to participate in the very famous Tuesday soirées under the guidance of Gilles de la Tourette. Freud was always very proud to be invited and curious to meet the Parisian intellectual elite. On these occasions, however, he was very apprehensive and made frequent use of cocaine. Due to anxiety and the need to appear creative in front of Charcot, it is possible that Freud used cocaine at other times.

Désiré Bourneville: A Socialist in Charcot’s Inner Circle

“…These eminent people were often invited to his receptions at Boulevard Saint-Germain, as well as some of his pupils. Although no evidence exists that Bourneville attended these events, he was certainly at some point forced to meet and socialize with the crème de la crème of the European monarchies [14, 15, 30-32].…”