e horse with the result produced by his own involuntary signs--i.
e., with the proper solution of problems.

[Footnote AM: G. Franzius,[99] privy counselor of the admiralty,
master of the dry-dock at Kiel, is responsible for the undeserved
revival of the ancient belief, long buried by science, that the
divining branch is put into motion solely as the result of the
influence of hidden springs or treasures, and without any agency in
the person who is holding it. The untenability of this theory comes
home to us most forcibly when we recall how various are the kinds of
things which have been discovered by means of the branch. First
there is gold and water, which are the only ones mentioned by Mr.
Franzius. The water can be thus discovered only when it flows below
ground, say that which is passing through the mains of a city,
whereas the water of the Rhine or the Elbe would have no effect on
the branch. Besides gold, every other kind of metal has been
supposedly located by the branch,--as well as coal, gypsum, ochre,
red-chalk sulphur and petroleum,--according to the desire of the one
searching. Thus, the very same branch that just a moment ago was
influenced by the least bit of underground water, may remain
unaffected by the presence of a large body of water, if in the
meantime I have changed my plan and decide to search for coal or for
gold. But that is not all. The branch will point out a murderer or
the place where a murder has been committed, it will discover the
thief or his trail, as well as the things stolen or merely touched
by him. It will indicate where the boundary-stone that has been
moved, ought to stand. The branch further discloses the sins of the
persons concerning whom it is consulted, as well as their talents
and abilities, the journeys they have made and the wounds they have
received. It will indicate whether or not a person has money and how
much. It can announce what absent persons are doing and what apparel
they are wearing, and of what color it is. It will give information
on theological, medical, zoological, and botanical questions. In
fine, no matter what the question, it will never fail of an
answer.[100, 101]

The impossibility of explaining the phenomena in a purely physical
way was recognized at a very early date. For a long time the
activity of the users o