My dear M^r Darwin

If what I saw in the newspaper the other day be correct as to the work you are at present engaged on, the accompanying annecdote may be useful¹   I had it told to me by two persons, my brother & his son, who heard it from M^r. Whatford himself. who is an old surgeon who practised as a dentist & still lives I believe—²

Would annecdotes of this kind be useful to you

Believe me | faithfully yours C. Spence Bate

M^r Whatford who still lives in Brighton—Western road—says that a person came one day to him as a dental patient & once finished asked M^r Whatford if he could do anything for his dog.

The dog had been suffering from toothache. & M^r Whatford put the dog up in his operating chair & took out the tooth— Some time after the same dog had toothache again & he left the man servant with whom he was & came in at the door of M^r Whatfords house & went into the room & got into the operating chair & of his own accord had another tooth out. This surpasses the moral courage of many persons—