In March 1876, the young Sigmund Freud arrived in Trieste, looking for the testicles of an eel. For centuries past, these troublesome organs had proved elusive. Despite the most intensive – not to say intimate – research, no one had managed to track them down. 

This article appeared in the March 2020 edition of History Today. Read the article online or buy a copy of this issue from our website.

Written by Alexander Lee

Read by Greig Johnson

Produced by History Today

Music by Kai Engel