In 1830 surgeon Bernhard Heine showed off to the medical community his medical chainsaw. It was born out of his interest in metallurgy and the workings of gears. Before this when a surgeon wanted to crack open a skull, they had to do just that, crack it open with hammers and chisels, which could shock the brain and cause damage. This sort of device was expensive to produce because of its intricate parts and gears, plus it was hard to sanitize. It was later replaced by the simpler Gigli Saw, which is sort of a garrote wire for bones and skulls.
I find this to be a tremendously fascinating antique medical device, though its usefulness in the medical field was short-lived, its development led directly to the modern forestry chainsaw which helped construct our modern world. So I will try my best and pay to my respects to this wonderful instrument and antique of the 1800s.
