Popularized by the Romans, the practice was specifically designed so that the pain would continue for hours—days sometimes—as the entire weight of the body, supported only by the nails, forces the hands and feet to spasm and freeze into something more like claws. Unable to move any limb, the victim, in agony, gradually becomes dehydrated and suffers from a raging thirst. Gravity, meanwhile, slowly forces the internal organs down until they begin to crush the diaphragm. Once movement of the diaphragm is restricted, breathing in can still be managed, but exhaling becomes increasingly difficult,
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