Thumbscrew (torture)

The thumb screw that was referred to in the Constitutio Criminalis Theresiana from 1769 as a thumb stick, was an instrument of torture to the " truth " of the Court in the Late Middle Ages (at least from the 14th century ) and the early modern period. It was used in an embarrassing interview for obtaining confessions.

Here, the thumb or other fingers are clamped in a vise and pulled together their interconnected by threaded jaws helical. This process is extremely painful and often associated with fractures that can cause permanent damage to the hand.

Very often this form of torture was used to extract confessions in the persecution of witches.

Torture was often carried out by those skilled in medicine, where the thumb screw was only so far turned down so that the fingers were not broken.

Use in the colloquial language

The colloquial phrase " tighten the screws " means " put pressure " or "force".