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📚 You might assume chainsaws were invented for cutting down trees, but the truth is much more surprising.
📚 Originally developed by doctors, the chainsaw was first designed to assist with childbirth procedures, specifically in a surgical operation known as symphysiotomy.
📚 This surgical procedure, which persisted into the 1980s, was highly controversial due to the significant risks involved in using a chainsaw to widen the pelvis during childbirth.
The chainsaw, widely recognized today for cutting down trees and slicing lumber, has surprisingly unconventional origins far removed from the lumber industry.
Originally invented in the late 18th century by Scottish doctor John Aitken—and later independently by another Scottish physician—the chainsaw was developed as a surgical tool.
If you’ve come across the viral TikTok video on this topic, you might already know the unsettling truth: chainsaws were first used to assist in childbirth.
In his 1785 book, Principles of Midwifery or Puerperal Medicine, Dr. John Aitken explains that the chainsaw was originally intended for a procedure called a pelviotomy, later known as a symphysiotomy.
During challenging childbirths, when the baby was too large or in a breech position and couldn’t be turned by hand, doctors in the late 18th century would sometimes widen the pelvic opening by sawing through bone or cartilage to create enough space for delivery.
As Dr. Aitken described, the procedure had “various success,” aiming to preserve the lives of both mother and child. However, he warned that performing it “promiscuously, or in improper circumstances, has contributed to disgrace.”
So, readers, take note—attempting this procedure today would be anything but advisable.
The Origin of the Symphysiotomy
While Dr. Aitken refined the chainsaw for medical use, he wasn’t the first to perform a “pelviotomy,” the procedure that would later be known as a symphysiotomy. That distinction belongs to Severin Pineau, a 16th-century French surgeon who observed a macabre case: a pregnant woman, recently executed, had her pelvis cut open to retrieve the unborn baby.
Following this single instance, Pineau began advocating for the use of the procedure on living women. Doctors across Europe experimented with Pineau’s advice, but it took nearly 180 years before the first recorded symphysiotomy was successfully performed without fatality for the mother, child, or both.
The procedure’s low success rate and frequent misuse ultimately led to its decline, supporting Dr. Aitken’s advice against performing it “promiscuously.” Before Aitken’s chainsaw, the procedure was carried out slowly and painfully using hand saws or small knives—and without anesthesia. Although opium and other natural pain relievers existed, doctors believed pain was essential for a patient’s survival.
Despite its high risks, the symphysiotomy was occasionally used well into the 20th century, most controversially in Ireland. There, it was practiced without patient consent into the 1980s as an alternative to caesarean sections, a safer procedure where the baby is delivered through an abdominal incision. The Catholic Church disapproved of caesareans because doctors sometimes recommended contraception to women who’d undergone multiple procedures—guidance deemed “intrinsically wrong” by Pope Paul VI in 1968.
Between 1944 and 1987, as many as 1,500 women in Ireland underwent symphysiotomies without their knowledge or consent. Many survivors of this period report enduring health issues, including chronic pelvic pain, permanent limps, and incontinence—lasting effects of this controversial procedure.
So, Why Were Chainsaws Invented?
In that context, Dr. Aitken’s mechanized chain saw invention (which was powered by turning a handle to rotate a chain of “teeth” around a blade) was meant to make the unpopular procedure faster and more precise.
In this context, Dr. Aitken’s mechanized chainsaw—which operated by turning a handle to rotate a chain of “teeth” around a blade—was intended to make the unpopular symphysiotomy faster and more precise. He included specific instructions for cutting through cartilage only, rather than sawing indiscriminately through bone, aiming to reduce harm and improve the procedure’s success.
Over time, Dr. Aitken’s chainsaw contributed to a more refined version of the symphysiotomy, which is still occasionally used in rural areas where Caesarean sections are impractical due to limited access to skilled doctors or necessary equipment.
As harsh as it sounds, Dr. Aitken was striving to improve medical practices within the norms of his time. While his invention is no longer used in childbirth, it remained in medical use for bone-cutting in autopsies and amputations until more advanced electric bone saws emerged.
Eventually, the chainsaw evolved into the larger, more powerful versions we know today, used for tasks from cutting down trees to sculpting foliage—or, if you’re a certain family of cannibals in rural Texas, for more sinister purposes.
In a roundabout way, we can thank Dr. John Aitken, the 18th-century Scottish obstetrician, for inspiring not only advancements in medical procedures but also the creation of an iconic tool with a wide range of applications.
From operating rooms to lumberyards, the chainsaw has undergone a striking transformation over centuries. And, of course, this evolution indirectly set the stage for one of horror cinema’s most unforgettable creations: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
It’s fascinating—and perhaps a bit unsettling—to think that a device originally intended to assist in childbirth ultimately became a staple in both practical trades and pop culture. But in its own strange way, that’s the beauty of history’s twists and turns.
Given the historical use of chainsaws in childbirth, what are some ethical considerations and potential risks associated with the use of such powerful tools in a medical setting?