ABSTRACT
Nothing prepares the reader for the sheer scale, lucidity and intellectual rigour of Abraham's writing on depression, except, that is, for Freud's own contributions that have their own individual qualities of being more free ranging and conceptually explorative. Yet what distinguishes Abraham's contribution is its grounding in clinical practice ± for this reason his formulations have stood the test of time and to this day they remain compatible with the general body of analytic knowledge about depression (Zetzel 1960).
