The disturbing truth about this tool is open for discussion once more across social media, with folks asking you to “stop what you’re doing and Google why chainsaws were invented”.

A while back, TikTok user @hellomynamesjon shared a video saying they weres first invented to help with childbirth, which is indeed the terrifying truth.

If you can see where this is going and don’t like it, we understand if you leave now.

For those with morbid curiosity, we’re delving into the origin of the chainsaw.

The story of the chainsaw, and medicine (thank goodness), has developed rapidly since the 1800s when the tool was indeed originally used to ‘aid’ childbirth.

If you’re clenching your legs, just know that the original chainsaw didn’t look much like the massive power tools used for cutting down trees today.

Rather, they were slightly, erm, daintier:

iNews reported that the prototype was developed by two Scottish doctors, John Aitken and James Jeffray, in the late 18th century for the process of symphysiotomy.

Business Insider will take over with what “symphysiotomy” is exactly:

…Babies can become obstructed [in the birth canal] if they are breech or too large. When babies couldn’t fit through or they would get stuck in the pelvis, parts of bone and cartridge were removed to create more space for the baby.

This is called a “symphysiotomy”.

Before this invention, the procedure was done with a knife, which caused more pain, mess, and took far longer – all without anaesthesia to a woman in the middle of giving birth.

Moving teethed links of chain around a guiding blade made the process much quicker.

Here’s the tool in the full light of day:

Childbirth is still quite an ordeal, but thanks to the modern caesarian section, it is nothing like that.

Then, in 1830, Bernhard Heine, a German orthopaedist, designed another version of the chainsaw for other surgeries and amputations.

He called it the osteotome, which is from the Greek osteo (bone) and tomi (cut) – literally the “bone cutter”.

It was only in the 20th century when folks started seeing the potential for the tool, which could cut through absolutely anything, outside of the surgery room:

The first patent for an electric chainsaw, the “endless chain saw” as it was called, was granted to a man named Samuel J Bens from San Francisco in 1905. His plan was to use it to fell giant redwoods.

In 1926, the first electric chainsaw that was actually produced and sold was patented by Andreas Stihl. Many of the early models were so large they had to be operated by two men.

Skip past the Second World War into modern times, and we have chainsaws for the home, the garden, and for forestry and industry.

You can unclench your legs now, we’re safe.

Good to know how far we’ve come.

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