Squassation one of the three kinds of torture commonly used by the Inquisition to extort confession. It consisted in tying back the arms of the victim by a cord, fastening weights to his feet, and drawing him up to the full height of the place by means of a pulley. He was then suddenly let down to within a short distance of the floor, and by the repeated shocks all his joints were dislocated. This torture was continued for an hour or longer, according to the pleasure of the inquisitors present and to what, the strength of the sufferer seemed capable of enduring. See Barnum, Romanism as It Is, p. 383.
The Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature was edited by John McClintock and James Strong. It contains nearly 50,000 articles pertaining to Biblical and other religious literature, people, creeds, etc. It is a fantastic research tool for broad Christian study.
John McClintock was born October 27, 1814 in Philadelphia to Irish immigrants, John and Martha McClintock. He began as a clerk in his father's store, and then became a bookkeeper in the Methodist Book Concern in New York. Here he converted to Methodism and considered joining the ministry. McClintock entered the University of Pennsylvania in 1832 and graduated with high honors three years later. Subsequently, he was awarded a doctorate of divinity degree from the same institution in 1848.WikipediaRead More