  We argue that the geodesic hypothesis based on the autoparalllels of the
Levi-Civita connection may need refinement in the scalar- tensor theories of
gravity. Based on a reformulation of the Brans- Dicke theory in terms of a
connection with torsion determined dynamically in terms of the gradient of the
Brans-Dicke scalar field, we compute the perihelion shift in the orbit of
Mercury on the alternative hypothesis that its worldline is an autoparallel of
a connection with torsion. If the Brans-Dicke scalar field couples
significantly to matter and test particles move on such worldlines, the current
time keeping methods based on the conventional geodesic hypothesis may need
refinement.
