The straitjacket was originally designed for asylum inmates in the 1700s, but is now mainly used by escape artists and stage performers. It was once considered a humane alternative to confinement, but can cause extreme pain and discomfort. Magician Harry Houdini popularized straitjacket escapes in the early 1900s.
A tuxedo is great. A sports jacket is fine. The one piece of clothing that few people want to wear, however, is a straitjacket. Originally designed in the early 1700s for the purpose of holding asylum inmates, the garment makes upper body movement virtually impossible. In modern times the straitjacket would have been seen as something like an instrument of torture, but it was once considered a humane alternative to the bonds of confinement such as ropes or chains.
Straitjackets are usually made of canvas or other heavy material. The jacket has very long, closed sleeves that can be tied together or connected with handcuffs. When one is put into a straitjacket one’s arms are crossed. When the sleeves are tight and locked in the front or back, the wearer has little or no mobility. Many of these jackets also feature a wide strap, usually made of leather, that runs under the wearer’s crotch area and prevents the jacket from being pulled over his or her head.
In the days before advances in pharmacology and the correct diagnosis of mental illness, doctors were largely baffled as to what course of treatment should be taken with those considered insane. The main thought was that the patient should be prevented from causing harm to himself or others. Patients were often placed in asylums more like a prison than a hospital and locked in cells, chained or tied to chairs. Thus, the straitjacket was considered a major breakthrough in compassionate care.
History does not record the name of the inventor of the straitjacket, but the earliest literary references to the device indicate that it originated in France or England. Dr. Benjamin Rush, a signer of the Declaration of Independence – who is also considered the “Father of American Psychiatry” – favored the use of restrictions as a treatment for mental illness. He is believed to have approved of the straitjacket as appropriate and merciful. What doctors of the time didn’t know was that being confined in a straitjacket can be extremely painful. Immobilizing the arms in this way leads to blood circulation disturbances, swelling, numbness, and agonizing muscle cramps.
Straitjackets in the 21st century are now more the province of escape artists and stage performers than the medical community. Straitjacket escapes were popularized in the early 1900s by magician Harry Houdini, who gained fame by escaping his jackets while being hung upside down from great heights, thrown into rivers, and locked up in boxes. Straitjackets are also thought to serve as torture tools and interrogation aids in some countries ruled by totalitarian regimes.
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