The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-08-08
THE AMBULANCE SERVICE.
Plans for a Permanent Automobile
at Emergency Hospital.

Funds 10 he Raised by Private Sub
scriptiOnS. M the Appropriation
Made by Congress II Inadequate
Tests Prove Entirely Satisfactory.
The recent embarrassing experience OF
the Emergency Hospital authorities in
the CrippHng Of their ambulance service
through the exhaustion of their two
horses as a result of the hot weather and
the eminently satisfactory results secured
by the use of an improviSod automobile
ambulance have resulted i'm movement
TO purchase for the use OF that institution
a thoroughly equipped automobile ambu-
lance
The tests that have recently been made
have convinced the officials Of the hos
pital that the introduction Of such an am
bulance service will immeasurably i'm
prove the efficiency Of their work and
probably result in the saving Of many
lives in the course of a year While the
cost Of installing such "A service will be
large. it is said that after the vehicle is
paid for il can be maintained and operat-
ed for as little as is now required 10 main
tain the horse ambulance. There is no
money available for the purchase Of the
vehicle, which. il is said. Will cost about
g 500 and a fund has been started and
subscriptions are being received by Miss
1. b. Lenig, the superintendent of the
hospital, looking TO the securing Of the
improved service.
For several years past the ambulance
service at the Emergency Hospital has
been OF a most satisfactory character
But this is an age Of progress and a bet
ter and more reliable service has been
found. and with their accustomed pro
gressiveness the hospitaI authorities are
trying 10 make their institution up 10 date
in every respect
The serious weakness in the present ser
vice was made evident in that extremely
hot period when prOstratiOus were nu-
merOus. The Emergency ambulance was
IN almost constant demand. No horse.
no matter how powerful or plucky- could
stand the strain upon it from the hurried
runs through the baked streets But they
tried it. An ambulance horse, like a fire
horse, knows but one thing-to run ahead
OF the changing gong until its heart snaps
or its breath departs When it was seen
that the horses were succumbing to the
excessive heat and TO the unusual calls
that were being made upon them an ef-
fort was made TO hire or otherwise secure
II
large livery stables and the principal
horse owners were communicated with
none were willing TO supply horses for the
severe work 10 which they would be sub
jected. 1t looked for time as though the
ambulance service would have to be
abandoned. when A motor vehicle was
placed AT the disposal OF the hospital au-
thorities by the Electric Vehicle Com
pany. This vehicle was only an ordinary
eight-passenger bus. and was So short
that the stretcher stuck out behind, but
IT for the time answered every purpose
and enabled the hospital TO respond to
every call that was made upon IT,
After the bus had been in service sew
eral days the horses were again called on,
but IL was found that they were in such a
condition as necessitated their being sent
TO farm for several weeks and an cleo
trio delivery wagon was fitted up to do
the ambulance work during their absence
This vehicle was fixed 10 be operated At
the speed Of ten nils an hour. but BY
paraIlenng the fields OF the battery the
speed was doubled. During the time this
ambulance has been in service the de-
mands upoa it have been excessive but
they have been more than satisfactorily
met. and several records for the hospital
have been attained.
One run was made 10 1l6 East Capt.
tOl Street and back in eighteen min
utes. including a twO-minute stop az the
house. The round trip distTance is slight
y over five miles.
Another run was made to Seventh Street
and Rhode Island Avenue in twelve min
utes.
During the month Of July there were
over two hundred ambulance calls
promptly responded TO without complaint
and the entire month proved Il record
breaker for the hospital There were 81
cases in the emergency service and 50 pa
uents in the wards. During the first week
there were taken 10 the hospital Sc cases
Of heat prOstratiOn and I9 cases Of genu-
Inc sunstrOke. OF thermic fever, where the
temperature was over 16s degrees Of that
number only five died and one OF them
died in the ambulance before ne reached
the hospital To control the spasms in
many Of these cases chIoroform had 10 be
used in large quantities. as much as 81
worth having been used on a single pa
tient The expense Of such patients were
only exceeded by the case Of Leo Hill.
who was suffering from lockjaw. and
whose medicine cost the hospital 8 a
dose. He was admitted Tuesday a week
ago and for a time the medicine had to
be administered every four hours. making
him cost FOR the one medicine alone SIS a
day In the last few days he has much
improved and the medicine is only admin
ktered every six hours now. Arti-tettinus
Is one Of the latest and most expensive