Mouritz Archival Literature is a collection of published letters, articles and extracts from lectures by pupils of F. M. Alexander.

They wrote in support of the Technique, drawing attention to Alexander's discoveries, and trying to explain the Technique in the light of available knowledge and current concerns. This means of course that in many respects they are dated today, and are therefore primarily of historical value. For example, teachers of the Alexander Technique today do not attach the same importance to the work on postural reflexes and reflex movements carried out in the 1920s by Rudolf Magnus in the Netherlands and C. G. Coghill in America. The doctors included here saw in Magnus' and Coghill's work solid evidence for Alexander's discovery of the importance of the head-neck-back relationship. No one today would see final proof of the Technique in Magnus's discoveries as for example Dr Mungo Douglas did. Similarly, Dr McDonagh's hypothesis that there is only one disease which is caused by damaged blood protein died out with him. Because of such obsolete references, the material is not representative of how the Alexander Technique is presented or explained today.

Despite such shortcomings, the material is of interest for several reasons. First of all, it testifies to the support which the Technique generated – a support which was not half-hearted. There is no doubt about the dedication to and belief in Alexander's work. The doctors, for example, were placing their reputation on the line by promoting a "layman" (as Alexander often is referred to) in the pages of medical journals. In the case of Dr Peter Macdonald, this was a not inconsiderable reputation.

Second, it is of interest to see how contemporaries of Alexander wrote about the Technique. Alexander's terms are used, but the phrasing is often new. Some of the authors are making serious attempts to describe the Technique more clearly, more accessibly, and more concisely than Alexander did in his books. People writing about the Technique today can learn from this material. The writings have the advantage of a certain freshness, if not boldness, but on occasion they reveal a limited understanding of the workings of the Technique. This aside, we can take delight in such phrases as "end-gaining gains no end" (Dr Peter Macdonald, 1926) or the unusual synonym for "end-gainers": "end-seekers" (The Earl of Lytton, 1928).

Third, the material provides historical information. This includes a couple of examples of how the Technique was taught in the "little school" for children (Köllerström, "A New Expression of the Self", 1936), and a handsome tribute to Alexander's teaching skill: "...the subtle beauty of the manæuvres when seen in action is an achievement to marvel over." (Douglas, "Integrated Conscious Man", 1940).

Readers will find biographical and other information on many of the people listed here in the notes published in Articles and Lectures and The Universal Constant in Living (both published by Mouritz).

Note that the original spelling and punctuation have been maintained almost without exception. Spelling may vary from letter to letter or article to article.

The material is copyrighted and it should not be reproduced without permission. Two exceptions apply: 1) brief quotations for the purpose of criticism or review; 2) quotations of less than 80 words which do not misrepresent the author's view. No quotations may used for advertisment purposes without written consent. Mouritz has not been able to contact all the copyright holders and would be grateful to hear from any copyright holder not already contacted.

Jean M. O. Fischer
London, March 2001
© Mouritz