The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1904-07-25
HOSPITAL RAIL WAY CAR
Erie's Plan For Attending to
Injured Passengers.
COMPLETE OPERATING ROOM IN USE

Der Of hospital or ambulance cars, with
which to cope with the effects Of col
lisions or other accidents, says the
Brooklyn Eagle. For over a year the
railroad has been quietly experiment.
ing with the ordinary car.
Instead of having to rely upon local
hospitals or improvised ambulanees IN
cases where either employees or pas
sengers have been hurt, the company
has been able to send at once to the
scene Of any trouble perfectly fitted
car wherein all the appliances needed
by the surgeon for caring for the in
/ jured We're at hand
The car that has been in use as an
experiment is merely an ordinary day
coach, from which the seats have been
taken. The car has been divided into
an operating room and room wherein
eight beds, all ready for patients, are
| disposed along the two sides Of the
center aisle This arrangement will be
| followed out in the new cars about to
be built, but with important modifica-
tons and improvements.
In the first place, the new cars viii
be more stoutiy built and hung upon
easier springs, so that in transit the
lpatients will feel the minimum jar and
| jolt The doors at each end OF the new
ear will be sufficiently wide to permit
beds to be carried through them In
addition to these end doors there are
also doors on either side of the oper-
ating rooms, which fold on double
hinges and through which a stretcher
or a bed can be passed with ease.
Three-fourths Of the length Of the
car is taken up by two rows Of beds,
four being in each row. The beds are
single iron bedsteads, having fine
steel spring, a mattress, a rubber sheet
and above that the regular bedding ae-
cording to the season Of the year. The
coverlets are white and neat and the
blankets are gray army blankets that
are light and yet warm Each bed
stands on four low boxes that raise it
a bit from the floor Other boxes of
different heights are provided, so that
the bed In ease of necessity may be
raised two feet or less above its regu-
lar height The walls Of the car are
white enamel the iron beds are white
and the ceiling soft gray.
The operating room IS amply large to
Icare for patients who require the most
delicate operations. 1t is about four
| teen feet long and the full width Of the
car, There are four doors, one on every
lside, SO that an injured person may be
lcarried into the room from any direc-
ltion. The doors are wide enough to per
NIT bed being carried III from the
| hospital, or streteher may be passed
in through one Of the side doors and
the patient laid on the glass and white
lenamel operating chair.
In one corner Of the room is d wash
stand which has its own special tank
Of absolutely pure water. This water
y distilled and changed frequently SO
that ii may always be fresh and ready
| for use Beside it, on stand, is the
sterilizing machine to cleanse the in
Isuuments. When not in use it is
covered with a soft rubber shield.
In another corner Of the operating
room stands the surgeons closet, which
Is kept always ready stocked with in
struments and appliances for the use
of injured persons
Some months ago the surgeon who
has charge Of the car while it stands
in the freight yard at Jersey city felt
sure that every appliance was properly
IN its place Then came slight
wreck, and several persons were IN
j jured, When il came to dressing the
wounds the first cry was for safety
pins. There was not one In the closet.
/ 1t was the only thing that had been
overlooked, and the very next day
large assortment Of safety pins was
placed upon the shelves, so that when
the next wreck occurs all win be In
readiness
Along the walls Of the car are a doz-
en- folding stretchers, tanks containing
| oxygen, axes and saws with which to-
lberate persons pinned under wreck
age, crutches and spllnts and even
easy folding chairs Of canvas for pa
tients to sit on while waiting their turn
at the hands Of the surgeon.
On each of the four walls of the
operating room Is a list Of the surgeons
who are to be called in cases Of emer-
gency. This list comprises every sec
ton Of the road through it's entire
length The name Of the doctor or
surgeon, his town address, his street
number. and, If he has phone, his
telephone number too. There is not a
section Of ten miles along the road
where doctors are not practically I'M
der the orders of the railroad
\ The orders are that as soon as
wreck or accident is heard Of the doc
tors in that vicinity IRE notified at once,
and the car is taken from its siding
u the freight yard at Jersey City and
drawn by special engine at once to
: the point OF need
The car has separate short siding
! In the center Of the freight yards, and
/. no other car is ever placed in front
Of 1t. No matter how congested the
& tracks may be, an engine can always
reach the hospital car and whisk it
away to wreck or accident without d
moments delay. 1t is now proposed