People horrified after learning what chainsaws were originally used for

People are freaking out after learning the real reason why chainsaws were invented in the first place, and it's one of those things which, after you know, you really can't unknow.

Now, at this point you're probably thinking 'oh pish posh and piffle, the chainsaw was obviously invented to cut down trees faster' but, dear reader, you'd be wrong.

If only the humble chainsaw had indeed been invented for the sole purpose of hacking down trees with greater speed than a regular saw, but alas, we don't live in such a world.

That would be the most appropriate guess since that's what we largely use them for these days, yet the true origin story of this power tool is far more gory and gruesome.

The true origin of the chainsaw stems from the world of surgery, and it comes a horrifying number of years before anaesthetic was widely used.

Pixabay

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.

TikTok/@kay...05

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, live rent-free in our brains for the rest of our lives, we can at least 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: Weird, Technology, Health, Viral

Emily Brown

Emily Brown is the Community Desk Lead at LADbible Group. Emily first began delivering news when she was just 11 years old - with a paper route. She went on to graduate with a BA Hons in English Language in the Media from Lancaster University before contributing to The Sunday Times Travel Magazine and Student Problems. She joined UNILAD in 2018 to cover breaking news, trending stories and longer form features, and now works as Community Desk Lead to commission and write human interest stories from across the globe.