The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1880-05-14
Surgeons Perils.

Many young physicians and surgeons,
before completing their studies, pass
through the regular ambulance service
attached to the hospitals throughout
he city, before they finish their course
Tor professional practice. In this SER
vice, it can be safely said, they go
through the most exciting portion of
their experience. They are not only
afforded the benefit of studying emer-
gency and accident cases, but also are
given an inside view of how people live.
The ambulance service of the Chambers
street hospital is not very inviting work,
and in SaS6H instaneesiAa a119eea1zBszhighly
| dangerous. DIR. Cyrus Edison, son OF
Mr.. Franklin Edison, president Of the
Produce Exchange, has met with several
narrow escapes. Once, while he was
taking a powerful woman from some
house in Water street to the hospital,
she attacked him; the doctor was look
ing out of the ambulance sounding the
alarm gong to clear the way, when sud
denly he felt deathly grasp about his
throat. The instant he made move to
free himself, the woman quickly en-
deavored to throw him down, and leap
from the ambulance. The vehicle had
just crossed Broadway into Worth
street, and but few people were about at
the time. The woman was suffering
from delirium. DR.. Edison. as the won an
made spring for the back of the ambu-
lance, caught her skirts and pulled her
down. She then sank down from ex-
haustion, completely powerless.
Another time he was called to house
where two men had been shot. One of
these was brought out to the ambulance
by an officer. The man looked wild and
stared about vacantly The doctor at
once saw he was delirious. Suddenly
he said to the doctor: I" am not going
into that ambulance, and if you do not
drive it away l will blow out your
brains.n As he uttered these words he
presented his cooked revolver at the
doctors head. The doctor apologized
and recoiled, and got into the ambulance
as If he were going away. He lifted up
the stretcher, and with one of its heavy
wooden supports, struck the man q vio-
lent blow, telling him TO the ground. He
dropped the revolver, which the doctor
secured, and then the latter placed his
patient beside the other, which the Off
Ger had in the meantime brought out,
In the ambulance.
DIR. Charles E. Wilken, the former
house surgeon, during his practice on
| the Chamber street hospital ambulance,
nearly met his death one evening just
after bringing in patient. He was sit.
ting on the stoop of the hospital. when
tall man, dressed in black, came up
and spoke insultingly about patient
just brought in. The doctor rebuked
the man, but he kept on talking, and
drew a big revolver and pointed it at
the doctors body, gradually raising it up
in line with his face. His movement
was noticed by DR.. George E. Moore,
who happened to be standing near, and
as the man was in the act of shooting,
DR.. Moore, the present house surgeon,
seized the revolver. The weapon was
kept from the man. and is still in posses
sion of the superintendent at the hospital.
The man fed after his intentions were
foiled, and his identity was never dis
covered.
DIR. Culver, substitute from the New
York hospital, one evening answered a
call in Cherry street, which proved to
| be for burly seaman, quite young, suf-
fering from alcoholism. After much
! trouble he was placed in the ambulance
and the conveyance went rattling along
| until Chambers street at the city hall
was reached. Here DR.. Culver beheld
| his patient about to leap from the am
bulance. The doctor at once made a
move to keep him down, but the rough
seaman sat up. aud whipping out long
knife fourished it defiantly, and with
an oath said: IF you stop me from GO
| ing out will rip you OPEN" DIR. Cul-
yer coolly advised the man to remain
quiet as his journey was nearly at an
end. But the seaman would not listen,
and made lunge with the knife at the
doctor. The doctor drew revolver,
and placing it to the seaman's head he
commanded him to lay down quick or he
would fall a corpse. This acted like a
charm, and the seaman put away his
knife and quietly laid down. --Nea0 York
Means.