From the Introduction to the book:

The cane's history in Western affairs begins with the voyages of the Dutch, and later the British, to the East Indies where rattan grows. In that part of the world, and in China, it had long been in use as a punishment switch, and it was taken back to Europe for precisely the same purpose. So efficient and long-lasting was it compared to the traditional material birch—that within half a century it had nearly displaced the older rod in the schools and homes of those countries where corporal punishment continued to thrive. In Western Europe it rapidly became the standard implement used in schools; and in one or two--notably Great Britain--it has only recently officially fallen out of use in school and home. It has therefore had a pretty long run--at least two centuries.

This anthology has been compiled from a wide selection of literature with a view to displaying the cane in as large a variety of modes as possible. At the most basic level, this is determined by environment—Home, School and Institution. Within those categories, most accepted styles of caning will be found. There is, of course, another, more licentious, perhaps, where the curing of sins is at a discount and the pursuit of erotic delight is the primary aim.