What was the original purpose of the chainsaw?

[256bits]

If given the question, I would not have fathomed that the chainsaw device with a continuous 'blade' was originally a medical device from the late 18th century.
An effort saving machine for lumberjacks cutting wood would have been my first guess. But wrong.

But when one thinks about it, the hand held powered chainsaw the average homeowner can buy is a recent ( 50 years or so ) machine. For quite some time engines were heavy. So heavy that a handheld was out of the question until technology improved to give weight savings such as aluminium blocks.
Lumberjacks would necessarily have stuck with the trusty two man straight blade to cut down a tree, as that could be carried around and manueuvred much more easily than a cumbersome heavy machine that hurt your ears when running. Effort saving was not to be had until after the middle of last century.

read on.....
https://www.msn.com/en-ca/foodanddr...pc=U531&cvid=36d61fcabddc4954843451cbe583f957

https://chainsawlarry.com/when-were-chainsaws-invented/

Early chain saw muscle powered for cutting bone in medical operations.

 

[jedishrfu]

Other inventions have been repurposed to fill a need. One great example was the electric tattoo pen which was originally invented by Thomas Edison for duplicating duplicating documents.

https://www.thoughtco.com/history-of-the-tattoo-machine-1991695

 

[pinball1970]

If given the question, I would not have fathomed that the chainsaw device with a continuous 'blade' was originally a medical device from the late 18th century.
An effort saving machine for lumberjacks cutting wood would have been my first guess. But wrong.

But when one thinks about it, the hand held powered chainsaw the average homeowner can buy is a recent ( 50 years or so ) machine. For quite some time engines were heavy. So heavy that a handheld was out of the question until technology improved to give weight savings such as aluminium blocks.
Lumberjacks would necessarily have stuck with the trusty two man straight blade to cut down a tree, as that could be carried around and manueuvred much more easily than a cumbersome heavy machine that hurt your ears when running. Effort saving was not to be had until after the middle of last century.

read on.....
https://www.msn.com/en-ca/foodanddr...pc=U531&cvid=36d61fcabddc4954843451cbe583f957

https://chainsawlarry.com/when-were-chainsaws-invented/

View attachment 322358
Early chain saw muscle powered for cutting bone in medical operations.

Yikes, I do not think anaesthesia was particularly well developed in the 18th century.
Whiskey perhaps?

 

[Frabjous]

Yikes, I do not think anaesthesia was particularly well developed in the 18th century.
Whiskey perhaps?

Many early researchers of anaesthesia became addicts.

A nice read about a couple of them
An Anatomy of Addiction: Sigmund Freud, William Halsted, and the Miracle Drug Cocaine
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1400078792/?tag=pfamazon01-20

 

[pinball1970]

Many early researchers of anaesthesia became addicts.

A nice read about a couple of them
An Anatomy of Addiction: Sigmund Freud, William Halsted, and the Miracle Drug Cocaine
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1400078792/?tag=pfamazon01-20

One of my lecturers at Uni was an ether addict. He was probably the age I am now or younger, it was 1987, Pretty matter of fact about it, first lecture come to think of it.
Some practicals involved ether. Lots of Drosophila studies where they were euthanized at the end. I supposed he just gained his addiction via diffusion?
Anyway that contraption in the OP is terrifying and anaesthesia is just one of those things we take for granted now.
As a small aside I was struck by an episode of house where he performs an amputation with what looks like a small wood saw. <snip -- Google link to page of ads now removed>
EDIT: Completely wrong after checking! How does one remember things in such a distorted way? Anyway, This is TV not real life but I think House team tried to be realistic @berkeman
6.30 in the video. If you have never watched House then I recommend it.

 

[jedishrfu]

There was a scene in the movie THe Cider House Rules where the doctor played by Michael Caine would take ether naps until it killed him later in the movie.

 

[BillyDoster]

If given the question, I would not have fathomed that the chainsaw device with a continuous 'blade' was originally a medical device from the late 18th century.
An effort saving machine for lumberjacks cutting wood would have been my first guess. But wrong.

But when one thinks about it, the hand held powered chainsaw the average homeowner can buy is a recent ( 50 years or so ) machine. Here For quite some time engines were heavy. So heavy that a handheld was out of the question until technology improved to give weight savings such as aluminium blocks.
Lumberjacks would necessarily have stuck with the trusty two man straight blade to cut down a tree, as that could be carried around and manueuvred much more easily than a cumbersome heavy machine that hurt your ears when running. Effort saving was not to be had until after the middle of last century.

read on.....
https://www.msn.com/en-ca/foodanddr...pc=U531&cvid=36d61fcabddc4954843451cbe583f957

https://chainsawlarry.com/when-were-chainsaws-invented/

View attachment 322358
Early chain saw muscle powered for cutting bone in medical operations.

Interesting and curious to know! How a medical device saw changed the landscape of the planet))) Deforestation means medicine is to blame for everything))))

 

[jedishrfu]

Yeah, except one could say that about every invention most notably the wheel.