Last updated on January 24th, 2023 at 11:18 pm

People today usually associate chainsaws with cutting down trees, but their original use you’re more likely to associate with something like the Texas Chainsaw Massacre. 

In the dark ages of modern medicine, the chainsaw was invented to assist in childbirth.

Why Were Chainsaws Used in Childbirth?

We often take for granted how miraculous C-sections are, which made up 31.8% of total births in the US in 2020. Being able to remove a baby from a womb surgically has saved millions of lives and made lowered childbirth mortality rates astronomically.

However, back in the 1700s, this wasn’t an option. If a baby was stuck in the mother’s birth canal, there was a genuine chance that both the baby and/or mother would die. 

Though not as eloquent as a C-section, 18th-century doctors came up with the Symphysiotimy to help in these cases. 

What was a Symphysiotomy?

Before I dive in, you should be grateful that symphysiotomies are no longer used, and for excellent reasons. The procedure was messy, dangerous, and, when successful, would leave lasting physical and mental damage to the mother. 

The Symphysiotomy originated with Severin Pineau in 1597. After witnessing the unfused pelvic bones of a woman during a public.

His idea was that doctor would remove bone and cartilage from the woman’s pelvis, then manually open it so the baby could pass through.

Unfortunately, anesthesia hadn’t been invented yet, so the process was extremely brutal. On top of that, the best tools to get it done were knives and saws, which aren’t very effective at cutting through cartilage and bone.