Obs.
1. One who practises inspection of patients’ urine as a means of diagnosis: in early use sometimes depreciatively applied to the medical profession generally; latterly, used as equivalent to ‘quack.’ Cf. CAST v. 40.
1603. Dekker, Wonderfull Yeare, D 3. Hipocrates, Auicen, Paracelsus,… with all their succeeding rabble of Doctors and Water-casters. Ibid. (1609), Ravens Alm., Wks. (Grosart), IV. 193. Let some skilfull-water-caster toot vpon your vrinell.
1627. J. Taylor (Water P.), Armado, A 5. The fare of Quacksaluers, Mountebanckes, Ratcatching Watercasters.
1675. E. W[ilson], Spadacrene Dunelm., 63. Oppilation or Obstruction, a noted hard word amongst our Water-casters, those pedantick pretenders to Science.
1804. Med. Jrnl., XII. 213. The country people have long been deceived by water casters, as they are denominated.
1828. Carr, Craven Gloss.
fig. 1681. T. Flatman, Heraclitus Ridens, No. 3 (1713), I. 13. I am just running to a State Water-caster, to resolve me a Horary Question.
2. ? A workman employed to sprinkle water.
1610. Assessm. Wages, in Eng. Hist. Rev. (1898), XIII. 524. A water Caster, vd. A caster of stone Clay or marle, vd.
