The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week hits Apple, Anchor, and everywhere else you listen to podcasts every Wednesday morning. FACT: The chainsaw was originally developed to aid in difficult childbirths By Claire Maldarelli. Pregnancy in general is a whirlwind of experiences in which your body starts doing things it’s never done before-and it can feel a little out of control.
Now people are obsessing over the origins of the chainsaw, after TikTok user hellomynamesjon shared a video saying it was first invented to help with childbirth, which sounds more than a little terrifying. Yes, the first chainsaw really was invented to be used in childbirth – though thankfully it was a far cry from the electric-powered monsters people cut down trees with today. Modern chainsaws come in many sizes, from small electric saws intended for home and garden use, to large “Lumberjack” saws.
The modern-day chainsaws we’re used to seeing are mainly utilised for tree cutting. Shockingly, the chainsaw was originally invented to assist in childbirth – yes, you read that correctly. The doctors’ chainsaw was used during symphysiotomies.
The original chainsaw was invented and used by two Scottish doctors in the 1780s. Interestingly, it’s also the first Stihl chainsaw because the first wood chainsaw was invented by Andreas Stihl – the founder of the Stihl chainsaw company. Stihl also claims to have invented the first chainsaw for use by one person in 1950 – check out all the Stihl chainsaw years made for more info.