My neighbor and truly great friend, Tommy Lyle, was telling me his wife was getting to where she spent a lot of time telling him he was saying it wrong or doing it wrong. This constant barrage of criticism was getting depressing to him. I suggested it was probably a domestic form of Chinese water torture. 

He wanted to know what I was talking about. I attempted to explain Chinese Water torture is when a person is restrained so they cannot move, lying flat on the ground or floor with their face up. Cold water is then allowed to slowly drip, one drop at a time, usually 1 drop every 10 seconds or so, in the center of their forehead. It eventually drives the victim crazy because of their anticipation of the next drop and because they cannot use their hands to remove the water or warm their face from the cold water. It may not have had its origins in China as it was first described under a different name by Hippolytus of Marsiliis in Italy in the 14th century. One of Houdini’s stunts was referred to by the name but he did not use the method above. 

Ray Hall from Red Hill is a regular columnist for Tallapoosa Publishers. Visit the Red Hill Historical Preservation Association website at www.redhillcommunityclub.com