The Washington herald., 1909-07-18

In answer 70 a recently published crit
cisE Of ambulance speed, DR.. (. P.
Magruder superintendent Of the Emer-
gency Hospital. last night gave out the
following statement.
My attention has been called 90 q
recent article, Ambulance Speed in
which the Emergency Hospital has b4ea
made the subject OF what I can but feel
I IS unjusuhablc comment The article in
I part reads There uiS~t be some sound
scientific reason f0T hustling them pa
tents through the streets at twenty
mile pace other than the advisabiiity OF
I getting them into bed as soon $ possible.
The ambulance IS equipped with first aid
remedies and accompanied By a profes-
sional attendant So that the sufferer can
be given restoratives and treated in a.
manner 20 prevent immediate dissolu-
tion II Il is possible 10 proIong his life.
II getting them into the bed as soon
as possible were the only consideration.
there would be no such thing as an
emergency ambulance. much less an
emergency hospital for beds alone might
be supplied az Infinitely less cost thsn
that required for the maintenance OF an
ambulance service and a hospital with
its varied and costly equipment. The
slightest reflection would lead one 70 OBJ
serve that the sound scientific reason
for hustling them is that they may AZ
the earliest possible moment receive the
Best treatment commensurate with rha
most modern therapeutic agencies. anti
dotal drugs, combined with The latest
equipment in the hands CT skfIlful physi-
clans and surgeons.
First-aid Remedies.
'First-aId remedies are excellent. 81,
far as they 50. but are frequently IN
adequate for the needs OF the case which
IN many instances. demand the fun hos
pital equipment IN order that life nay bs
saved
Only the trained physician AID sur
geon can estimate the tremendous .valus.
OF 2 minute OF time IN such cases as al
too frequently come 70 Us; for instance.
may OF the more serious poison cases.
gunshot- and stab wounds OF the abdo-
men, in a larger number OF our cases
the fewest number Of minutes marks rba
difference between hope and despair. OF
LIE and death. Should any sane fndi-
Vldual question the propriety OF speed
. under these circumstances And should
any reasonable individual doubt that the
professional attendant Of the ambulance.
whose Judgment O. the patients con6.-
lion entirely regulates the speed OF the
ambulance. knows infinitely more about
the exact coalition Of his patient than
one whose attention Is centered solely
upon the question OF speed. and not upon
the cause for such speed2
Would the District authorities have
granted every facility and the right of
way thai our ambulance nay use al
dispatch. where necessity demands, ex-
cepJ for The most excellent reason that
many valuable lives are constantly en-
dangered2 Where the case does not re-
I. Qcire Il the ambulance travels az e very
moderate gait These are the Instructions
20 the driver from the physician n
charge. and far more cases are brought
10 the hospital slowly than rapidly. On
the other hand, where the case Is urgent,
the matter OF a few minutes between life
and death. and this the conclusion OF TIE
professional attendant all possible speed
IS made. and this is IN the highest de-
gree right and proper. Quoted further,
the criticism reads
AT any rate, whatever may be the
effect on the patient. one would imagine
from the furious Efforts Of the driver
that the horse Is not very greatly enjoy
ing the performance during the sizzling
DAYS Of July and August temperature
NO one questions the forced speed OF
fire-engine horses IN their wild dash for
the saving OF property. Should any one
question the speed OF our horses IN the
effort 10 save ufe2 Under such circum-
stances the mere money value OF the
horse Is not 70 be considered though
those IN the ambulance are much less
costly. while from the purely hGmani-
tartan standpoint I might say thar The
length OF service Of the hospital horse
IS probably double thar OF the engine
horse
~On the other hand. can any one esti-
mate the value Of human hfe. and 6oes
not the end more than justify the means2
submit that We can wei afford 10 be
less humane 20 a horse II Il x the price
Of humanity % man
Asks Pertinent Questions.
Having no sympathy with cruelty 20
animals. however. 7 beg leave TO ask
this question OF the public. When your
father OF mother. brother or sister IS IN
imminent danger, and IN Response 70 a
hurry call. has been placed in cur an
buiance. shan we drive slowly or rap
idly 70 the prompt service of the hos
pital?
The article concludes: The thought
occurs IN this connection that If speed
Is an absolute necessity. the hospital
should secure from its financial founda-
ton sufficient funds 70 purchase an auto
mobile
The hospitals financial foundation
cannot afford an automobile but il would
De delighted 20 be the recipient OF one
from any philanthropic citizen n the Dis
uict or elsewhere. such an act OF char
iry would alleviate the suffering Of both
man and beast, and its dOner be richly
rewarded IN the consciousness OF his own
humanitarianism