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After a brief historical review of the subject, the history of a typical case of merycism (rumination in human species) is given, and the patient’s psychopathology and psychodynamics are discussed. The patient was successfully treated by psychoanalytically inspired psychotherapy on a 3–4-times-a-week basis within a period of nearly 2 years. On the basis of the abundant material produced (associations, dreams, phantasies, etc.), the most interesting parts of which are quoted in the text and the careful handling of the transference situation, it became possible for the therapist to help the patient in gaining full insight into his condition by understanding the symbolism and perceiving the deeper (unconscious) meaning of his symptomatology. Merycism, as interpreted to the patient, seemed to represent his inhibited unconscious wish ‘to vomit at the face’ of the person who actually instigated the conflict, in other words a hostile attack towards people in the position of authority.