Chinese water torture
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Chinese water torture is the popular name for a method of
torture in which water is slowly dripped on to a person's forehead, driving
the victim
insane. This form of torture was described by
Hippolytus de Marsiliis in
Italy in the
16th century. The torture in dripping water is the slow rate at which the water flows. The victim can almost predict when the next drop will fall and a sense of tension builds up. When the drop finally does fall, a sense of shock and relief follows, only to be replaced with more tension about the next drop. The release of tension (no matter how small it is) prevents the victim from withdrawing inside themselves. As the torture does not require interaction on the part of the torturer it can be done continuously, without breaks.
It is unclear whether this form of torture was ever used by the
Chinese. The popularity of the term "Chinese water torture" may have arisen from
Harry Houdini's
Chinese Water Torture Cell (introduced in around
1913: a feat of
escapology which entailed Houdini being bound and suspended upside-down in a locked glass and steel cabinet full to overflowing with water, from which he escaped) together with the
Fu Manchu stories of
Sax Rohmer that were popular in the
1930s (in which the evil Fu Manchu subjected his victims to various devious tortures, such as the
wire jacket).
"Chinese water torture" may also refer to forms of torture (also known as the
water cure and
water boarding) in which a person is placed in a closed box and
water is slowly dripped into the box until it fills up and the victim
drowns, or a rag is stuffed into the mouth of a prisoner and water is dripped onto it until the rag swells and
suffocates the victim, or a heavy cloth is draped over a persons head and water is dripped onto the cloth so it adheres to the victim's head, also causing suffocation.
In "medieval water torture" a victim has his or her nose closed with pinchers and a funnel is forced in to mouth. Victim has to drink all the water (or other liquids) poured into the funnel to avoid drowning. With the belly filled up until it looks like it could burst it is sometimes beaten until victim throws up and the torture starts over. Sometimes water torture victims are raised upside down with water in the belly pressing intestines causes incredible pain and this could also be lethal. Water torture is considered being the ultimate way of getting confessions and does not leave any external marks on victims. Therefore it is popular way to torture political prisoners all over the world. Water torture was popular in South Vietnamese prisons during 1965-1973 war and also in south america during what was known as "
Operation Condor" by
Chile and
Argentina.
"Water torture" can also mean victims poured with very cold and hot water in turns. Because no external marks are left on victims it is also a very popular form of torture of political prisoners in
China and
Tibet.
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