October i^, 1897] 



NA TURE 



569 



would have given the same, and water was obtained 

 within seven feet of the surface. 



These two successes are the only instances mentioned 

 for the Isle of Wight. We, however, can give four others, 

 all of which were failures. Happening to be at Wootton 

 we came across three other wells being dug under the 

 advice of the diviner — whether the same person as 

 operated at Woodside we do not know. We watched 

 the sinking with great interest, for they were all in strata 

 which a geologist could not advise sinking into, and 

 consequently could seldom examine. Each of the wells 

 was abandoned long before the first water-bearing 

 stratum was reached. In fact, an additional depth of 

 fully two hundred feet would be needed to reach the 

 first spring, and then the supply would be but small and 

 the water bad. A fourth site selected by the diviner was 

 in chalk close to the sea. Some months afterwards a 

 geologist was consulted, and he had to advise that nothing 

 but salt water could be obtained there. The fact that a 

 diviner had previously been consulted was only made 

 known to the geologist by an accident. Thus, instead 

 of the Isle of Wight yielding two successes and no 

 failures, it yields four failures, one success— one that did 

 not need a diviner, and one which, on the diviner's 

 testimony alone, counts as a complete success. 



This brings us to the principal criticism that we have to 

 make on Prof. Barrett's collection of facts — that he does 

 not give enough weight to the natural tendency of man- 

 kind to conceal their failures. A man making a bet or 

 speculation is inclined to boast of it if it is a success. 

 But if it fails, he usually prefers to hold his tongue. It 

 is much the same with divining. It is perfectly natural 

 that both the diviner and his employer should wish to 

 keep the failure secret. 



Though the bulk of the paper is taken up with hear- 

 say evidence, we are given two fairly satisfactory test 

 cases, which should be noted by any one who, on the 

 strength of the numerous reports, is inclined to employ 

 a diviner. One of the cases we allude to is the careful 

 trial made in the adits at Richmond Waterworks, in 

 Surrey. Two diviners were employed independently to 

 locate the springs ; with the result that they did not 

 agree, and that when borings were made at the spots 

 indicated, most of them were failures. In another case. 

 Prof Barrett himself tested the powers of a diviner, who 

 was said to have been highly successful elsewhere in 

 finding both water and ores. In Prof Barrett's hands 

 he failed completely, though an expert thought-reader 

 might have had fair success. The diviner in this case 

 seems to have been accompanied by persons having a 

 complete knowledge of the position of all the springs, 

 wells, and pipes which the dowser failed to find. 



If scientific men still think it worth while to spend 

 time on this investigation, we would suggest certain pre- 

 cautions which must be taken before any results can be 

 accepted. Hearsay evidence, like the bulk of that 

 brought forward, is valueless. When the skill of the 

 dowser is tested, it must be at a place where surface 

 indications will not help. Before boring or sinking the 

 dowser's report must be put into writing, and no additions 

 to his prophecy should afterwards be accepted. The 

 operator should not be accompanied by any one who 

 knows the position of the springs or pipes which he is 

 set to find. His companion should be a stranger who 

 can note the exact spots chosen, and write down at the 

 time the exact nature of the diviner's forecast. The 

 depth to the spring, amount of water expected, and con- 

 tinuous or temporary yield should all be noted. It 

 should be carefully recorded whether the diviner pre- 

 dicts an open fissure, which can be tapped by boring, 

 or advises a sunk well to collect a percolating supply. 

 This last precaution is a very necessary one, for it con- 

 stantly happens that a small boring, with an area of 

 perhaps ten square inches, misses a fissure, or penetrates 



NO. 1459. VOL. 56] 



it at a spot where the walls come together. On the 

 other hand, a sunk well would have a superficial area of 

 some 4000 square inches, and consequently have a far 

 better chance of obtaining water. 



One of the most satisfactory tests would be to set the 

 diviner to map out in some clay district the intricate net- 

 work of water-pipes and drains of an unknown towri. 

 Or, if he prefers still water, to hide a number of bottles^ 

 some full and some empty, under a cloth or board, and 

 let the dowser select the full ones without touching or 

 seeing any of them. After shifting the bottles a few 

 times this ought to give a sufficiently large number of 

 tests to enable the percentage of failures to be calcu- 

 lated. But here again there must be no one in the 

 room who knows the position of the bottles. 



In conclusion, we must express our opinion that this 

 investigation, undertaken at the request of the CounciF 

 of the Society for Psychical Research, leaves the question 

 in the same state as it found it. We feel that the accu- 

 mulation of second-hand evidence is of little use, and 

 that what is wanted is a few careful tests by perfectly 

 qualified and unbiassed observers. The Richmond inquiry 

 was good, but the failure is explained away by the state- 

 ment that the dowsers employed were not in the first 

 rank, and were young and inexperienced. Unfortunately 

 all the most successful prophets seem to be dead. 



NOTES. 

 The American Geographical Society has guaranteed Lieut, 

 Peary the sum of 150,000 dollars to meet the expenses of his- 

 proposed Arctic expedition. Lieut. Peary has obtained five 

 years' leave of absence, and will start upon his journey about 

 the end of next July. The large meteorite he succeeded in 

 obtaining during the expedition which returned to St. John's, 

 Newfoundland, towards the end of last month, weighs over 

 seventy tons, and is to be placed in the New York Museum of 

 Natural History. 



It is announced that Prof. Sanarelli, director of the Monte- 

 video Institute of Experimental Hygiene, who recently dis- 

 covered the bacillus of yellow fever, has now succeeded in 

 preparing a curative serum. The details of the discovery will 

 shortly be published. 



Science states that Prof. Michael Foster will deliver several 

 lectures in Baltimore in the course of this month, and will visit 

 Boston later to deliver a course of lectures at the Lowell 

 Institute. 



Dr. Frank Clowes has been appointed chemist to the 

 London County Council, in succession to Mr. W. J. Dibdin, 

 who recently resigned the post. 



The Agricultural Committee of the University College of North 

 Wales, Bangor, has acquired a large farm in Anglesey, near 

 Llangefni, for the purpose of providing practical courses of 

 instruction in agriculture, together with field experiments. It is- 

 noteworthy that the same site had been previously used for 

 agricultural work, conducted under the auspices of the college 

 long before the present proposal was contemplated. 



At the meeting of the London County Council on Tuesday, 

 the following resolution was adopted : — " That it be referred to 

 the Parks and Open Spaces Committee and to the Technical; 

 Education Board to consider and report upon the practicability 

 of laying out plots of ground in certain parks in such manner 

 as will afford assistance to scholars of elementary and secondary 

 schools in the study of practical botany." 



The opening meeting of the new session of the Royal 

 Photographic Society was held on Tuesday evening, the Earl of 

 Crawford, president, being in the chair. The proceedings 



