A Humane Alternative

For many generations, the birch was a favoured tool of correction for use in a wide variety of settings including the judicial system, prisons, the army and schools. The birch was quite simply made from the more supple twigs of the birch tree which were bound together to form a redoutable implement of correction. Birchings were normally delivered by swiping the twigs across the bare backside of the offender and no doubt had a very beneficial effect in regards to maintaining order and discipline among groups of teenage boys and young men.

However, as the Victorian age progressed, an increasing number of schoolmasters and mistresses favoured using the cane made from rattan a fast-growing canewood that grows plentifully in the Far East. This new more enlightened generation of educationalists were attracted by its smooth, yet very flexible qualities which enabled it to deliver a suitably harsh sting without actually causing any abrasions. Moreoever, it was effective over clothing and took away the necessity for the boy to lower his trousers; an important consideration due to the modesty of the Victorian period.