diasyrmus
Many years ago a popular columnist, Bill Cunningham of the Boston Herald was convinced that water could be found by "dowsing". He had a friend, he wrote, who had been able to locate water in Bermuda,by pointing his dowsing rod at a map of Bermuda.I cite that story when anyone tells me they believe in dowsing. Can I call that "diasyrmos"?

di'-a-syrm-os Gk. "a tearing in pieces"
Also sp. diasyrmos
elevatio, irrisio, vexatio



Rejecting an argument through ridiculous comparison.

Examples
Arguing that we can clean up government by better regulating elections is like asking a dog to quit marking his territory by lifting his hind leg.
Related Figures
Figures of Refutation
apodioxis
hyperbole

Related Topics of Invention
Comparison

See Also


Sources: Aquil. 15 ("diasyrmus," "elevatio," "irrisio"); Sherry (1550) 61 ("diasirmus," "elevacio"); Peacham (1577) D4r



© 1996-2003, Gideon O. Burton, Brigham Young University
Please cite "Silva Rhetoricae" (rhetoric.byu.edu)



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You have to admit, Dr Bill, that there is a great deal of water around Bermuda.

But the water around it is not potable.
And on Bermuda, potable water is in very short supply,
provided by having water from roof gutters fed into
a large cistern. Yuk.

Bill, I am somewhat certain that Bermuda must be a coral atoll and on all atolls, even the driest and the smallest, there is always an elliptical body of fresh water *above the saline water table. It has to do with specific gravity/ fresh water is lighter than saline; this principle is called the ?Gaben Herzberg law. I might have got the name of the law wrong, but this phenomenon is well established and has been exploited by generations of Pacific Islanders long before modern science discovered it.

Dear maahey: I didn't know Bermuda was a coral atoll.
If the ring was a complete circle, that would keep salt
water out if there were enough rain. I know of wells close
to shore on Cape Cod. However, it may well be that Bermuda
has lowered fresh water table enough to create a relative
water shortage. From what I have read, rainwater cisterns
are needed there. But if the island is an atoll, no dowser
would be needed.
Again, I shake my head at the idiocy of pointing dowsing
rod at a map.(Or anywhere else!)

maahey, I think you are thinking of the Ghyben-Herzberg principle.

Those Herzbergs sure are smart.

I agree that the one male Herzberg chose very wisely.

I searched for "Bermuda water supply" and found this:
Bermuda's Fresh Water Sources

Bermuda has no rivers or streams. Due to the porous surface soil and
limestone underground, rainfall rapidly soaks through to the depth of the
underlying seawater. Bermudians have therefore traditionally derived their
fresh water from the collection and storage of rain water, and to a limited
extent from wells.

Thanks Sparteye! It is indeed the Ghyben Herzberg law. Something Bill said in a PM, made me go searching for the true story of Bermuda's coral reefs. Here is an interesting link...

http://coexploration.org/bbsr/coral/html/body_reef_formation.htm