The water cure from a missionary point of view: by Homer C. Stuntz.

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THE WATER CURE FROM A MISSION-.
ARY POINT OF VIEW. /
"THE 'WATER. CURE.'
"BY -REV. HOMER C. ST4/TZ, D.D.,
Presiding Elder in the Philippines."
[From the 'Central Christian Advocate,' Kansas City, Mo., June 4, 1902.]
"Soon after arriving in the Philippines, I heard of the 'water
cure.' A young volunteer lieutenant mentioned it one day in a
joking fashion, and my curiosity was aroused. In answer to my
questions he told me what it is, why it was administered, andall
about it. It is the means used by the Spaniards there for many
years, and adopted by our forces, to compel spies to tell what
they know. Instead of hanging them hy-the thumbs, shutting
them up in dark dungeons, pouring water for hours in a tiny
stream on their wrists, or putting them into a modem 'sweatbox,' they gave them the 'water cure,' so called.
"The manner of giving it has been fully described in the secular
press. The spy was held flat on his back on the ground, a bamboo
or other 'strong and at the same time hollow tube was forced (
between his teeth, and he was slowly poured uncomfortatbly and
sometimes dangerously full of water. He had it in his own power
to stop the process or prevent it altogether. If he'would tell
what he knew of the strength, location, and plans of the enemy,
he was let go without any semblance of violence, and fed, on the
best rations the camp or column afforded. If he preferred to
keep his own secrets, he had a very uncomfortable time of it.
Usually he would tell his story before the operation had gone,far
enough: to seriously hurt him. I could only learn of one man who
had died under the operation, and was told that he died from
fright rather than from the amount of water taken. As a rule
the 'victim fealt no lasting effects from his rough treatment. Within
a day or two he was quite himself again.
"What about the charge that the administration of the socalled 'water cure' was 'proof of the horrible diabolism of the
army, as one writer calls it, 'infernally cruel,' 'inexcusably defiant
of the laws of civilized warfare,' etc.? Let us look at the facts