#medical history lessons with Jiro Kirisaki

[ask-jiro-kirisaki]

Is it true that chainsaws were made to assist women during childbirth or is that just a rumor?

That's correct. The osteotome (replica shown above) - was created by Dr John ‌Aitken and⁤ Dr. James Jeffray in 1780 to perform a symphysiotomy - a procedure in which the pelvis‍ of a⁤ pregnant ​woman is sawed open ‍to allow for a⁤ safer delivery of ‌the baby. This early version​ of the chainsaw was ​hand-cranked and resembled a kitchen knife with teeth ​attached to a ​chain, which was operated‌ by a handle. This not only allowed surgeons to be able to cut through bone, but to make the procedure fast enough to save both mother and child. The chainsaw as we know it today didn't come until the 1900's when more hygienic practices were the norm and antibiotics were available. It was thanks to those developments that surgeons didn't need to work so quickly. It was at that point, the chainsaw became more widely used in things like logging.