108 
hands furthest from each other. When a twig is grasped 
in this position it will remain stationary, if held loosely, or 
with only a moderately firm grasp, but the moment the grasp 
is tightened, the pressure on the branches will force the end 
of the twig to bend downwards. The harder the grip, the more 
. it must curve. The curvature of the twig is mechanically caused 
by the pressure of the hands forcing the limbs to assume a bent 
and twisted position, or the force that caused the forked limb to 
turn downwards is furnished by muscles of the hands and not 
from any other cause. The whole secret of the “divining rod” 
seems to reside in the hands of the operator, and in his 
voluntarily, or involuntarily, increasing the closeness of the grasp 
on the two ends of the branches forming the fork. If the above 
conditions are fulfilled, the twig will always bend downwards. 
Water or no water, mineral or no mineral, anyone can be an 
operative, and any material can be used for the instrument, 
provided the limbs forming the fork are sufficiently tough and 
flexible. It can be easily understood how an ignorant operative 
may deceive himself and be perfectly honest in supposing that 
some occult force, and not his hands, causes the fork to curve 
downwards.” Mr. Tegetmeier then says, ‘‘This explanation, to 
the correctness of which I can fully testify from my own 
personal experience, I beg to commend to the consideration of all 
believers in the divining rod. That some of the men whose 
performances I have witnessed are deceiving themselves and are 
the victims of unconscious cerebration I am perfectly convinced, 
as Iam that others of the professors are to be regarded from a 
totally different standpoint.” 
Remarks. Iam convinced that some persons who have tried 
dowsing experiments do unconsciously bend the rod slowly either 
upwards or downwards by muscular action of the fingers, but I 
maintain that it is perfectly impossible for any person to make the 
rod revolve by muscular action for an indefinite length of time as 
happens with Mr. Gataker, whilst standing over a spring of water. 
EG ae 
#. 
Te 
4 
, 
: 
a) 


