New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-03-28
SELECTIONS FROM THE NAIL
AMBrLANCE SURGEONS DEFENDED.
DTS. M'BURNEY And sTIMsoN ARGUE TINT
THEIR GOOD WORK l. OFTEN UNDER

| THEIR GOOD WORK l. OFTEN UNDER
ESTIMATED.
TO the Editor Of The Tribune.
Sir: During the last few weeks the newspapers
have printed number " articles cricisins with con
! siderable severity the ambulance service Of ths CITY.
! The criticism has usually accompanied and been based
upon reports Of alleged negligence or Ignorance on the
part Of ambulance surgeons or OF such lack OF SYM
patty in the performance of their duties As would
amount If rue. to actual brutality. The other side Of
the has been partly presented In an occasional
article and in editorial comments. but the great major
lty Of the publications have been occupied solely with
the alleged and defects Of the service. In view
Of this fact, II has seemed desirable TO friend, OF organ
izrd charity that Of those who familiar with
the subject should make to the public statement OF
the character of the ambulance service and OF the con-
dOns under which II l. performed. TO the end that
! M opportunity may be given TO those who are inter
estcd In the matter a Trustworthy opinion as 10
! lis merits and dement's.
The undersigned now. and for some years have
been, attending surgeons at the Roosevelt and the New
York hospitals respectively they take part in the scec
ton Of the ambulance surgeons supervise their work
and have cIargc OF the patients brought In By the
ambulance. They have also served In the capacity
| at Bellevue and other hospitals.
The ambulance service OF this city Is carried on
! parity by the commissioners Of Charities and Cor.
rccon at Bellevue, Gouvcrneur. and Harlem hos
| piials, and Il part by few Of the private hos
| pitals-the Ncw-lork with its ChamberSSt branch.
the Roosevelt the 81. Vincent the PRESBYTERIAN aud
| the Manhattan. The statements that have to
make are based In dcaIl upon the conditions
isting M the New York. Chambers Street and ROOse-
welt, but, to the best OF knowledge and belief,
they equally true in general Of the other spals
! bOih public and private.
Each OF those three hospitals provides two
balances. with relays Of hOrSes drivers and stabemen
The stable AID harness arrangements are similar to
those in use by the Fire Department, so that within
| a minute after tho signal has been given from the
| office Of the hospital the ambulance has departed on
It's Grand This is the invariable practice and the
rule OF the hospital IS and long has been rigid that
| an ambulance surgeon while on duty shall not go
| ont OF hearing of the gong that summons him TO
| call At night tho signal sounds simultaneously in
his bedroom and, at the New.York turns the
electric light. One ambulance surgeon is always
duty, and Is required instantly TO leave whatever
| other work he may be engaged in when the call
sounds. second surgeon Is required to hold himself
In readiness 10 answer any call that may during
the absence OF the first II OCCASIONALLY happens thai
third call comes while both ambulances are out.
or sccOnd call while one ambulance Is temporarily
disabled, and those are the only occasions on which
| any delay In answering call arises within the hos
| ptal. The Grand Jury stated officially last July
| that the ambulance habtually reachci the furthest
points In the largest district within eight minutes
the receipt Of the call and that delay occurred
only I'm the transmission Of the call to the hospital.
| The call for ambulance l. transmitted to the
ospital by one OF routes: II may BE- sent from
station house to Police Headquarters and thence By
private telephone 10 the hospital or II may come
over the Fire Department, wires. for the tirealarn
boxes are fitted that a policeman can send call
for an ambulance from most OF them. These latter
calls sound simultaneously In all the hospitals and
| tho case belongs 10 the ambulance which gets TO
II first. In connection with this II be mentioned
that great deal Of hars. newspaper criticism has
been based The theory that ambulance sur
gcon refuses TO take patient who Is not in his dis
trict. ON the contrary, he II anxious 70 take him for
almost the only break I'm the mOnOtony Of a duty
| that deals solely with sickness and suffering Is
| the satisfaction that comes from Il beat Of the
ambulance Of a neighborng hospital These fire
alarm call, are known "a hurry calls and they are
the that especially bring the young man down stairs
three stops time TO swing himself bare-headed 10
the iallboard and urge the horse 20 run.
| \ book l. kept the Office In which the time
Of the departure and return Of the ambulance. the
| place where the patient found and the diagnosis
|, arc recorded The ambulance surgeon Is a member
| II the resident stan. who Is assigned TO this duty
| during the middle period OF his hospital course
that ls after he has already passed one term In
| preparation for Il. The members OF the stan are
selected. after competitive examination. from among
candidates who many times more numerous than
there urc positions he filed aud they are. beyond
question. the very best OF those who are graduated
each year from medical schools. Men come from
distant schools Harvard Yale Philadelphia. 10 try for
the positions. All Of thom nav" had previous eX
perence as drescrs dispenrIes and substitutes
| in ho-pltal- At Chambers Street the men are not
selected by competitive examination. The peculiar
character and activity Of that service make 1t eN-
ccproually advo tagcou, 10 men OF experience ana
consequently the members Of It, stan arc usually three
fourth, Of The time, men who have previously served
| a fun course IN some other hospital
Nbnt 4, work for the doing OF which THIS
elaborate preparation l. made! II IL 10 respond TO
any call that Is In by the police 10 respond IN
stanty. unhc~iiatingly. at any hour, day or night
abandoning verything else and without stopping to
/ inquire a. 10 the character or the urgency OF the
call Primarily it intended only for the care
and comfort Of iho,e who Iced to be received into
a hospital. but II has grown into II vast additional
system OF outdoor relief. Of the treatment 81 The
| Immediate wants OF those who do NOT need h0sp"a'
care This needs 10 be borne In mlad IL crl'"i7ihs
alleged refnsals 10 receive pallcnts In large pro
/ norton OF calls neither the sender Of the call nor
! the patcnt La, any expectation that hospital care
! will be- required accepted.
The amount OF the work Is indicated by tho foNo"
ing figures During the last year, lh9l the ChaihOe''
street ambulance called ont 304" tlhe'' 'he We"
| York. 200 the Roosevelt. 1000. The "I7lnd jury
found the daily average for the city ortyseven calls
II ran hardly be necessary 10 say that private nos
ufal Is "A private charity and Is under 10 Obligation
ia maintain thi, service-indced many hospitals do
moi maintgn itror that II receives no pay of doinS
IT, or that no member OF Its professional sah receives
any pay for IT, And yet, 50 easily does the ho''oh Oh
a vested right arise from recurrcnt favor. one 0i
! our hospitals was severely criticised by the pres
| Lccause il objected to going to the expense some
! - 900 of making u ncw connection with the Fire De
parmcnt wires after the latter ad been placed III the
| subway.
Much Of this work IS work that the city pays other
people 10 do Police surgeons are employed ana pad
TO attend 10 sick and injured policemen ana 10 Sn'h
sick or injured citizens are brought to the Stallion
house4 But il Is very much eus.er, rs well ms more
certain in lis results. press button ana summon
an ambulance than II is 10 send II messenger mile
or two for IA physician who may or may not be at
home.
Further Il considerable number OF the calls are made
needle,sy for rinng injuries for bruises received III
| ..It..rn linn