Dismemberment

Dismemberment is the act of cutting, tearing, pulling, or otherwise removing, the limbs of the condemned, causing prolonged, painful death. It can be a form of capital punishment, an accident, or possibly a murder or suicide. As opposed to a possible surgical amputation of the limbs, it tends to be fatal.

Carried out in modern times by tying a persons limbs to a chain or other constraint, whereby attaching the restraint to two separate movable entities (eg. a vehicle) and moving them in the opposite directions.

Used in medieval times; trademarked by "stretch beds" where the victims hands are tied above their head and a wheel is subsequently turned causing an immense stretching. Dismemberment is not used by any modern governments as a form of torture or capital punishment.