when was the chainsaw invented

The chainsaw was originally invented in the late 18th century, around 1783-1785, by Scottish doctors John Aitken and James Jeffray as a medical instrument primarily used for surgical procedures such as symphysiotomy (widening the pubic cartilage) and the removal of diseased bone. This early version was a flexible chain hand saw used to assist in childbirth and bone cutting. The first true chainsaw designed specifically for woodcutting was developed in 1830 by German surgeons Bernhard Heine and Giovanni Monti, known as the osteotome, intended for cutting bone. The modern chainsaw as a powered tool for forestry and logging emerged in the 1920s. In 1926, Andreas Stihl, a German engineer, invented the first electric chainsaw for cutting wood. Shortly after, in 1927, the first petrol-powered chainsaw was developed. Initially, these early chainsaws were heavy and required two operators, but over the decades they became lighter and more practical for one-person use. Thus, while chainsaw-like devices originated in the late 18th century for medical use, the chainsaw as known today for cutting wood was invented and developed in the 1920s.