Teaser
Bizarre History of the Straitjacket
Hold still while I buckle you in
He knew this was unwise, he should really struggle free, but there was something about her calm authority and beguiling beauty that made him lie still and let her do it.
Invented in the late 1700’s, the straitjacket was a device for restraining agitated patients in psychiatric hospitals. It was considered a humane alternative to other methods of restraint as it allowed the patient some freedom of movement, including the ability to walk around, and it could be worn without causing injury to a struggling patient. It remained in medical use until the second half of the 20th century when the advent of effective antipsychotic drugs rendered it obsolete.
She stood behind him and tightened the straps across the rear opening from collar to waist. “I want you to relax and be very, very good for me”, she whispered reassuringly as she threaded the closed ends of the sleeves through the broad loop of canvas at the front, and then threaded their attached straps through loops at the sides and back of the jacket.
In the world of entertainment, the straitjacket captured the public imagination, and in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s became a staple prop of escapologists and magicians. The official world record for escape from a…
