Uncle Al,
I've never been to Anthony Hall or to Michigan State. By the way, you didn't major in English did you?
The only reason I recommended using an alnico cow magnet is because they're cheap and available. They do demagnetize easily. However, they are unipolar magnets. One end of the "cow magnet" is the North pole and the opposite end is the South pole. I have a magnetometer that can tell the difference between North and South pole energy. A compass can be used to check the polarites too. The side of the compass marked 'North' is the North pole of the compass magnet and the side marked 'South' is the South pole of the compass magnet.
A magnetic field doesn't have to be 10,000 gauss or more to have a significant effect on living organisms. Those who say it does have obviously never done any experiments with lower gauss magnets themselves. I have obtained magnets from the Albert Roy Davis Lab and reproduced some of their basic experments.
As for magnetized water, the Advanced Research Projects Agency of the Department of Defense sponsored a study of magnetized water for industrial use titled, "Magnetic Treatment of Water", in 1973. It clearly states in the study that no one argues whether magnetic treatment is effective or not, and that the Soviet Union has used magnetized water for many years with great economic benefit. You can look up "Magnetobiology" or "Magnetized Water in the Soviet Union" on google for more information. The 1973 study by the U.S. can be found on the web too.
