Why were Chainsaws Invented? Everything You Need to Know

The title has already created curiosity in you. The question “Why were Chainsaws invented” in your mind made you click on the link. It is definitely an exciting topic. The chainsaw has an insightful historical connection. As we see the name, some of the horror movies come into our minds.

Why were chainsaws invented?

Chainsaws were not originally made for chopping wood, and it was made for childbirth. Yes, you read it right. It was made for safely delivering a baby from the mother’s womb. As soon as we come to know this, it sounds a little horrific, isn’t it? Two Scottish doctors invented the machine – John Aitken and James Jeffray in the late 18th century. 

History of the Chainsaw

However, as we know that if the baby is a larger one than its mother’s pelvis, it will get stuck. Parts of the pelvis had to be cut to bring out the baby. The process is called “Symphysiotomy”. The process was performed by a small knife or saw. Just imagine how painful it was in the middle of the delivery. So, this caesarian operation was very time-consuming and painful as well at a time.

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The doctors were determined to find an easier way for the surgery. So, they made a tool looking exactly like a chainsaw but a little scary. After the invention of the chainsaw, it was hugely profitable for the birth of a baby. Not only for childbirth, but this chainsaw was also used for some other purposes like bone cutting operations, amputations, and other notable surgical purposes. The chainsaw was a significant surgical instrument throughout the 19th century. 

People started to use it as a woodcutter because it was easier to cut wood seamlessly in a shorter period of time. Then, the chainsaw became larger and larger and monstrous-looking. It was started to spread that the machine is made for wood cutting. More and more chainsaws were started to make. Then came the electric chainsaw in 1926. The time after the second world war saw dramatic changes in the improvement of the chainsaws. The models were so larger that the machine had to be used by two men. It wasn’t easy to handle the machine with only one person. 

In the twentieth century, the rule was appropriated for less upsetting purposes like logging, with two-person saws gauging over 100 pounds each. By the 1950s, those offered an approach to lighter models.

Modern Chainsaws

Modern chainsaws are light-weighted and advanced. It comes in many shapes and built with a battery, gasoline, or electricity. The machine is utilized in development, for instance, in cutting wood, square openings in dividers or floors, in the sculpting purpose for eliminating enormous pieces of stone during pre-cutting, by local groups of fire-fighters for accessing structures, and in the rebuilding of structures and landmarks for eliminating leaves behind minimal damage to the encompassing design.

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So, this was an interesting piece about the invention of the chainsaw. The old surgical method, “Symphysiotomy is not, at this point, performed now. It can actually occur in some undeveloped nations where a working space for a caesarian area is inaccessible. Yet, they are not, at this point, acting in the United States. 

Caeser is definitely a horrible process. But there is a massive development in the surgical department just because of the advanced technology. Lots of advanced techniques are used there. The equipment has also been developed over the years. So, the need for a chainsaw inside the operation theatre has been dissolved. It has now been easier and less painful for the surgery.