Green’s Dictionary of Slang

a writ of capias ad satisfaciendum, after judgement, to imprison the defendant until the plaintiff’s claim is satisfied.

1796		T. Morton Way to Get Married in Inchbold (1808) XXV 57: I will touch him up with a bit of a capias. [...] Then follow that up with a fi-fa [...] If that won’t do, tip him a ca-sa.
1827		High Life in London 30 Dec. 2/1: The writ of ca. sa. and the costs were very heavy.
1859		G.A. Sala Twice Round the Clock 89: Else I will invoke the powers of the great ca. sa. and the terrible fi. fa.
1864		Hotten Sl. Dict.
1873		Sl. Dict.
1894		G.A. Sala Things I Have Seen II 51: [heading] ‘Fi. Fa.’ and ‘Ca. Sa.’ [Ibid.] 54: The writ of Capias ad Satisfaciendum, or ‘Ca.Sa.’ as it was familiarly termed.