Ever learned a piece of information that you immediately wish you could remove from your brain? If not, you're about to.
Most of the items we use today have become popular because they make our lives that little bit easier; maybe by saving time or by cutting down on physical exertion.
When it comes to the chainsaw, it's not hard to come up with a guess as to why it was created. It probably has something to do with trees - maybe it was made to replace the classic saw and make it much quicker to cut through some chunky trunks.
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Right? Wrong.
The truth behind its creation is actually much more disturbing.
It turns out, chainsaws stem back to 1785, when Scottish doctors, John Aitken and James Jeffray, came up with a device to improve the symphysiotomy method.
What's the symphysiotomy method, you ask? Well, it involves separating the pelvic joint of a woman giving birth to allow the baby to pass through more easily.
Told you it was disturbing.
Doctors initially used rigid saws and knives for the procedure, but Aitken and Jeffray created a tool with a fine serrated link chain to help cut through the joint, and the creation later became known as the Aitkens flexible chainsaw.
Obviously the device has been developed a lot since then, but that's where it all started, and learning that has left a lot of people horrified.
In fact, it's so horrifying that it sparked a trend of people filming themselves before and after learning the information, with short clips showing them going from clueless and happy to in-the-know and horrified.
Other internet users used words to express their horror, with one relying heavily on the Caps Lock button as they wrote: "CHILDBIRTH?! IT WASNT MADE FOR CUTTING THINGS?! BUT MADE FOR C SECTIONS?!? AHHH HOW DID I NOT KNOW."
Another disturbed viewer commented: "ok yeah usually im [sic] not phased by these but that one was a mistake and i shall never use a chainsaw again without remembering this."
While the information will unfortunately probably live rent-free in our brains for the rest of our lives, we can at least be rest assured that the slow and painful symphysiotomy method is no longer used in modern medicine, so you won't have to worry about a doctor firing up a chainsaw while you're in labour.
The process is painful enough without getting giant saws involved.
Topics: Health, Technology, Viral, Weird
Emily Brown