† water-caster 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 Wonderf. Yr. D 3, Hipocrates, Auicen, Paracelsus,..with all their succeeding rabble of Doctors and Water-casters. 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, v{supd}. A caster of stone Clay or marle, v{supd}. |