You may have seen a chainsaw cutting down a tree. But while you saw it, childbirth must not have come into the furthest of your thought. Well, it’s time to rethink. Though weird, chainsaw indeed has a direct relation to childbirth. To dig further into this story, you have to know why were chainsaws invented.
Why Chainsaws were Invented?
There have been rumors on social media about the original use of a chainsaw. The answer to the question being asked frequently these days is something you will surely not expect.
From the discussion above, you probably have understood one thing that chainsaw original use was certainly something other than what it is now being used for. Then you have guessed right that tree cutting was not the actual reason behind inventing chainsaws. Still, you can’t imagine what were chainsaws invented for.
You may find it abnormal, horrifying, or even funny when you get to know why was the chainsaw invented. Before hacking down oaks, chainsaws were initially designed to hack away at genitals.
The primary reason behind the chainsaw invention was using it as a tool in childbirth.
Chainsaw and Childbirth
There was a time when the caesarian section was not a common practice. Childbirth is still a complicated and painful process. But at least today, we have medicines for labor pain relief, including morphine and fentanyl, the use of nitrous oxide, and proper sanitation.
At the time before the cesarean sections and these medications, all babies had to pass through the birth canal. Therefore, there were chances that the large babies could get stuck. The same could happen with the babies in a breech position. In both cases, a baby would lie in a feet-first position instead of a natural head-first posture.
Thus, in the 18th century, babies often got stuck in the pelvis. That was when the symphysiotomy surgical procedure took place, which is now outdated. Parts of the cartilage between the two pelvic bones had to be removed to widen the pelvis and make space for the baby to come out—the answer to the question of why were chainsaws invented lies in this symphysiotomy surgical procedure. The surgeons sometimes used a chainsaw to cut the cartilage and ligaments.
The First Chainsaw
You must be fearful to think of a chainsaw, which we now see, touching a woman’s pelvis and cutting cartilage. The first chainsaw wasn’t like the one we use to cut firewood, it was a doctor’s chainsaw.
If you still wonder what did the first chainsaw look like, it was hand-cranked with fine-cutting teeth. Unlike today’s giant machine, it was just a large knife having a chain.
Were Chainsaws Invented to Help with Childbirth?
By now, you have got the answer to the question, were chainsaws invented to help with childbirth? Yes, it was.
Who Invented the Chainsaw?
Two Scottish doctors, James Jeffray and John Aitken, invented the childbirth tool in Scotland in the 18th century. If you ask why chainsaws were invented, the doctors invented that knife-like tool to make the painful symphysiotomy process easier. As the doctors had to perform the surgery without anesthesia and with their hands, they used the tool.
Dr. Aitken was a surgeon in Edinburgh’s Royal Infirmary who gave lectures and demonstrations to medical students. He deserves credit for making a few improvements in surgery, including the chainsaw invention. His partner Dr. Jeffray was well-known for the body dissection of executed people.
The Use of Symphysiotomy before the Caesarian Sections
The surgery on the pregnant woman while giving birth to a child on or before the 15th century was called symphysiotomy.
The doctors sliced through the cartilage and ligaments of the woman’s pelvic joint to widen the space for the baby to come out.
When anesthesia was introduced, the doctors used the process more frequently.
The process involved pain, bone injury, a high risk of infection, and even long-term walking difficulty.
As the number of maternal death increased due to this process, this practice became outdated in the 20th century.
Frequently using the caesarian section with medically improved techniques decreased maternal death.
Some countries like Ireland used this method until very recently.
Why were Chainsaws Invented for Childbirth?
The problems during childbirth that necessitated the use of chainsaws were the following:-
- When the baby came out feet-first
- The shoulders of the baby were stuck, which is dangerous for both mother and child.
- The head didn’t come out through the birth canal due to different reasons.
The Caesarian Section
Now, the caesarian section is used widely across the world for childbirth. The surgeons don’t attempt to widen the pelvic joint. Instead, an abdominal incision is made to take out the baby, which is relatively more minor and less intrusive.
C-sections, too, involved high risks until recently, when no antiseptics and other advanced medical equipment came. Therefore, the caesarian section, introduced in 1597, was rare until the late 20th century.
Chainsaw Original Use in Other Ways
Reading this article so far has certainly made you think that you know why were chainsaws invented. Wait, there are more uses of a chainsaw invented by the Scott doctors. Those are the following:-
- Removing infected flesh
- Cutting Cs
- Amputating limbs
When was the Original Use of a Chainsaw Stopped?
Some western countries used chainsaws for childbirth up to the late 1800s. But its improvement began taking place in the 1700s.
Sometimes when the C-section isn’t possible, the ancient process comes back. But today, the doctors use the Gigli saw instead of the medical chainsaw.
The First Chainsaw Used for Woodcutting
Thanks to science and technology’s inventions, the entrepreneurial folks and medical experts developed other ways. The entrepreneurial and enterprising sectors developed the chainsaws with an entirely different purpose. The medical experts with innovations in their field started using caesarian sections frequently.
The first chainsaw for wood hit the market in 1926. Let’s have a quick look at its development.
The first woodcutting chainsaw weighed 105 lbs.
It required two people to use it.
The first gas chainsaw came to the market in 1929.
The Finishing Words
Anything we see around us may have a fascinating story behind its origin. As you become aware of why were chainsaws invented today, we may come up with another real amazing story the next day. Stay tuned.
