The New York herald., 1879-02-10
OUR AMBULANCE SYSTEM.

THE WORKINGS OF GREAT AND MERCIFUL IN
sr1TUTIoN-READY AT ALL TIMES TO sUccoR
THE INJURED.
Tho ambulance system Of the Northern army
during the civil war reached such state OF perfoc
tion that with little modification it is now In use
with the civilized nations Of the world The appli
ances Of such service in times OF peace originated
with the Department of Charities and Correction of
this city in the month Of June. 1869. One
wagon. constructed with Light springs. covered
and cushioned within, was all IL then
boasted. It took but very little experience
to demonstrate its advantages over the old method
of crowding badly wounded persons into carriages
or hastily accommodating them in rough carts or
wagons. and in the year following the number was
increased to four. At the present time there are
eight ambulance wagons attached to Bellevue Hospi-
tai alone Each ambulance is provided with conve-
niences whereby two patients may be at trans
ported, and it is not unusual for two
unfortunatas from different points to bo picked up
by an ambulance on o single trip. These commo-
dious and well constructed vehicles supplied with
all necessary surgical and medical appliances and
are invariably attended In these missions of mercy
by surgeon. whose duty it IL to apply such reno
dial alternative agents the circumstances Of the
case may require. thus securing the double sdvsn-
tace OF early attention and comfortable Transports
ton. Great difficulty at first experienced in the
handling of BADLY injured persons in order to lift
them into tho ambulsnccs; but even this was soon
uvertcd by tho introduction OF q sliding stretcher
and now the most painful cases OF fracture bo
attended without causing the sufferer one unnoces-
sary moment Of pain Many lives that would othor-
wise have been jolted out OF manned and bruised
transportation lot alone the great beneAt Of early
medical attendance.
ALWAYS IN DEMAND.
hefroquency OF accidents requiring their services
would scarcely DO beloved In county town occur
rences OF the kind and their way into the columns
Of the local journal but In the metropolis they sell
dom appear IN print uncss they terminate fatally
and oven they are published only when censuro Of
some person or corporation follows tho Coroner's
inquest. 1t is only In the records of tho city hos
pitfalls and of the Police Department that idca
be lad Of tho number Of persons who are daily in
ured either by accident design 1t is the duty Of
every patroinan attached to tho Police Department
to report to his precinct tho particulars OF every
currence wherein any person is injured brief de-
spatch rcciting the tclcgraphed to the Police
Central Ofco. ut No. 800 Mulberry street. which Is
In turn connected by telegraph with tho principal
hospitals throughout the city.
BRANCHES TiIR SYSTEM.
In addition to the eight arnbulanccs located at
Bellevue Hospital there are two connected with the
| New York Hospital. In West Fifteenth street. one
with the Chambers street branch OF that institution
| and an ambulance and sick wagon ut tho Ninety
ninth street branch. The city 10 divided into dis
tricts, and ordinary occurrences looked after by
the attaches Of the hospital nearest at hand In tho
| down town precincts-thc First Fourth, Twenty
scventh Twenty sixth. Fifth and Scvcnth-whcn the
services of an ambulance are needed signal Of
twenty strokes IL sent to the Chambers Street Hos
pital. The Eighth. Ninth. Fourteenth and Fifteenth
precincts fall within the province of tho st. Vincent
IN thaso fr
ton upon the ambulanccs attached to bellevue. Tho
| New York Hospital extends it's care over tho Six
tecnth and Twenty ninth precincts and the Roose-
vet which is located ut Fifty ninth street and Ninth
avenue looks after the Twentieth aud Twenty second
precincts. IT. Luke's In West Fiftyfourth street,
and the Ninety street branch Bellevue cover
the of the upper portion OF the island leaving
tho great cast sidc comprising the Tenth, Eleventh.
| EVER ALERT.
| Tho signal stations, numbering ~ they do every
station house. fire engine house and irc alarm box
| In the city arc many, aud upon receipt ut the
ton or wherever the patients may be
very brief period In necessary In which to
send for and convey them 70 the institution nearest
1t hand Tho horses Kept harncssed and the Mt
tending surgeons and drivers In readiness at all
hours of tho night aud day 70 attend summons.
for action at all times they resemble the ambulance
corps of an army going into battle. The hrst great
Sentod % heat IT. Of june, july and August 1870. when
| from sunstrokes aud othor mRadies many were
stricken down daily upon the streets Every am
bulance was kept In ceasecss service and the work
was aggravated at the time by mn unusually
frequent occurrence OF crime, resulting IN severe
and often fstal injury Where several persons
aro injured at nre. In fallen building or
| by mishap Of any kind general call is sent out
| and responded to without regard to location Tho
| ambulances attached to Bellevue. Chambers street
and Nnety-ninth street are maintained by the Do
partnent Of Charities and Correction. the others by
alarm OF nrc which IL generally the fororunner of
large confagraton, IL also signal 20 tho ambulance
surgeons 70 be on ths a,ssS N sass shsis sssvoss
| should bo needed. M4GH