The morning call., 1893-09-18
WANT SURGEONS
To Accompany the Patrol
Wagons.
CAPTAIN TEVIOTDALE'S CASE
Lives May Be Saved by Having Med
ical rlen in Prompt Attendance
in Urgency Cases.

The remarks made by the police sur
gems at the Receiving Hospital on Satur-
day afternoon that Captain TeviOtdale's
life might have been saved if the police
officer and mate who accompanied him in
the patrol wagon had properly handled
him has again brought up the matter OF
appointing surgeons in connection with
the Police Department. who would be on
hand to go with the patrol wagon when
call is made for similar case to that of
the master of the Bannockburn or cases
of accident, stabbings, and wherever
surgeons services are necessary. In fact,
a regular ambulance service.
The question has been agitated many
times before. Ithas not been denied that
many a life might have been saved if this
system had been in vogue, but the cost
has always been urged in opposition to its
adoption.
Chief Crowley said yeste rday that he
was not personally cognizant of the facts
IN regard to Captain Teviotdale's case, but
he doubted the truth of the charges
against the police officer.
The police surgeons" said the Chief,
make IL practice TO blame the Police
Department, whether deserving OF 1t or
not, and [ therefore don't place much
credence upon what they say. Still.
whether the police officer In Captain
Tevlotdale's case is TO blame or not, it
will do good in showing the absolute
necessity of having surgeons in connection
with the Police Department to answer
necessary calls with the patrol wagon.
This is the worst equipped Police De-
partment in the United States. con nsidering
the size of the city. In New York there
are tweDty-thTee surgeons attached 20 the
Police Department, and whenever call is
made for the ambulance surgeon is ready
to render all the help he can till The Da-
tient reaches the hospital. l believe all
the leading cities in the East are as fully
equipped in this respect.
Just imagine also that we don't have
a single station-house of our own in
large city like this. In Eastern cities
they have fine statiOn-hOuSeS with sleep
ing apartments for the men, library,
gymnasium and other conveniences. The
men have to remain three nights in the
week in the statlon-house, 81 that in case
of an urgent call they are always at hand.
Then there are stables attached To the
station-houses for the horses connected
with the apartment.
What have we here? Ii we find it
necessary to detail a squad of men for
duty in case of a riot, we have no station
around the assembiy-rOom at the Central
station or the Southern station. And then
the patrol horses have to stand outside
exposed to all sorts of weather.
I'VE have, as l said before, the worst
equipped department on tho continent
ma, don't think an ambulance would
be better than the patrols wagon. l be-
lieve tho patrols wagons we have in use
here are as good for conveying injured
men to the Receiving Hospital as any am
bulance. if not better. They are as steady
as II is possible to make a vehicle. whereas
Na,l. l.UaN hair h0,ff
not so steady. We are not so much in need
of am5uiances as of surgeons, and the
sooner we get them the better.
This IS no new cry, but it has been
raised ever since l became Chief of the
department"
Coroner Hughes is strong advocate for
a proper ambulance service in the city.
II think the case OF Captain Teviotdalc,"
he said yesterday, should show the Board
of Supervisors the urgency of doing away
with the primitive system in vogue here.
which Is not creditable 10 a city of the size
and Importance of San Francisco.
while the patrol wagon is good enough
for many cases 1t is entirely unsuted for
other cases. One objection TO it is that it
is too high, but there are other objections
which need not be gone into. Give a
wounded or sick man thu choice of patrol
wagon and a modern constructed am
bulance and If he does not select the latter
1t will be because he is incapable of the
power OF selection.
The ambulance should be stationed at
the Receiving Hospital. which is undoubt-
edly the proper place for it. understand
DR.. Somers. the Police Surgeon, recently
petitioned the Board of Supervisors for an
Whether an ambulance is provided or
not there is great need for some one
familiar with surgery being attached to
the Police Department for the purpose of
accompanying the patrol wagon in answer
to calls Tor Receiving Hospital cases.
Third-year students at our medical col
leges would be quite competent for this
duty and l think they would be glad of the
chance 70 get that practical experience.
That would do away with the opposition
of the economists on the board. The only
cost to the city would be the necessary
appliances. such as splints, drugs and
bandages. But as the Police Department
headquarters will. it appears, be changed
to the new City Hall in week or two,
these could be procured at the Receiving
Hospital