Beief and Evidence in Water Divining

Abstract

AT the Public Works, oad and Transport Congress recently held in the Agricultural Hall, Islinghton, the subject of water divining was intriduced by Prof. J. W. Gregory, who read a paper setting forth the admitted facts and stating his own reasoned judgment with the candour and of his ground and satisfied with his conclusions. So frankly did he acknowledge the widespread popular faith in the use of the divining-rod as a means of finding water that the writer of a leading article on dowsers and doubters in the Times of Nov. 25 appears to class him amongst the believers. Prof. Gregory, however, developed the case against the dowser with a convincing moderation and clarity of reasoning, and in the issue of Dec. 2 he stated that his paper showed “that the evidence of all the controlled experimental tests in England of which I know is against water or oil. … divining.”