I O ft suit were in the air. Wherry's reputation in such matters had 

 been wafted westward by identical wind, wherefore he was 

 approached for opinion. On November 17, 1907, "the worst 

 affected horse on Mr Cochran's ranch" was brought down for 

 his examination. In the presence of authoritative witnesses, 

 Wherry made a thorough job of it. So exhausted by slight 

 exercise that it would not move even when whipped, he shot 

 the animal. Whereafter immediate post mortem and two 

 months of preparation of the organs with special emphasis 

 upon the central nervous system (where the effects of arsenic 

 poisoning, if present, are to be discovered) ! The animal had 

 succumbed to a lung inflammation caused by microbic infec- 

 tion, Wherry found. 



Fearing trouble ahead, he asked his Anaconda friend — 

 McEachran — if he would be available for counsel. Answering 

 that he was now free to go where he wished and that he could 

 be on hand "in the event of a suit being taken," he added this 

 advice (February 3, 1908) : "I believe much could be done in 

 gaining the confidence of the people and guiding them aright 

 before any suit is started, otherwise the expenses soon run up 

 into large sums on both sides." Of such better sense was 

 Wherry, too; and because of it, what might have been another 

 Anaconda case, died out. Before this happy ending, however, 

 there occurred an incident which must be recorded. 



To keep his report to the company confidential, in part, too, 

 because he never could get used to secretaries, Wherry sent his 

 ten-page account of findings in the horse in personally con- 

 ducted longhand. E B Braden, vice president, answered 

 (April 10, 1908): 



I have your letter enclosing your report on the Corcoran horse 

 [that was to put Wherry straight on family names]. Like all 

 professional men your handwriting is not of the best, but I 

 have had my secretary transcribe it in the best manner pos- 

 sible [all Wherry's u's had been typed n's; all his v's, r's] and 

 I enclose you a copy together with your original, and I would 

 greatly appreciate it if you will kindly go over the copy and 

 make such legible corrections as are necessary. P/S Kindly 

 return papers to this office. [Added note] Dr Wherry: For 

 you. EBB 



