The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-08-08
AMBULANCE WAS
KEPT IN ACTION
Responded to 1913 Calls During
Mon th Of
July.
.--..----------.---
SAVED 8 WouLD-BE SUICIDES
Life or Death Often Hangs on
Speed With Which Calls
Are Answered.
SAVED 8 WoULD-BE SUICIDES

Some idea OF the work performed
by the internes of the City Hospltal
while on ambulance duty may De
gained from the fact that the three
young surgeons-Drs. Collins, thurman
and Harshbarger-answer 2sS calls
in the month OF July. The calls come
at all hours of the day and night. and
the physician who happens to b. on
ambulance duty at the time can nave
but little rest. So with the ambulance
drivers. of whom there are two-John
Drake and Roy Ford--for they sleep
with one eye and an ear open all the
time.
or the EOS calls answered last
month, five were heat prostrations,
three were for fractured skulls, three
were for gunshot wounds, nine were
for fractured extremities Qegs and
arms), three were for bichloride OF
mercury poison--a favorite method OF
suicide among certain class Of peo-
ple-two for carbolic acid poisoning.
and one each for iodine and arsenic
poisoning. The other calls were for
minor Injuries. Though there were
eight attempts at suicide during the
month, the city ambulance surgeons
arrived in time to save each life. OF
the patients treated and left there
were 1861. The City Hospital received
forty nine. seven were taken 70 ether
hospitals, and nineteen were taken
home. There were two asphyxia.
tions. WHICH did not result seriously,
and one attempt at opium poisoning.
an easy death. but one rarely attempt
ed by would-be suicides.
Last Years Figures.
In July, 1909, the city surgeons an
swered 23s calls for first aid to the
injured. In that month there were
nineteen heat prostrations. one frac-
tremities. one bichloride OF mercury
poisoning, two carbolic acid poison.
ings. one arsenic poisoning. Out of
that number 142 were treated and left,
twenty-six We're taken to the City
Hospital, seven to other hospitals. and
twenty five were taken home. There
were two asphyxia tions, one concen-
trated I've poisoning and one opium
poisoning.
The work for the City Hospital in
ternes is gradually increasing with
the growth of the city. and few who
are not acquainted with the arduous
they. must pick their way along crowd
ize the tremendous amount of work
they perform. or the strain which
they. and the drivers too. constantly
labor under. The work is particular
ly hard for the drivers. it is said: for
when an urgent call for help comes
they must pick their way along crow
ed thoroughfares at the best speed
they can make. and often be criticized
for violating the speed ordinance. Am
bulance drivers and surgeons say that
many life has been saved by the
speed with which the injured person
had been taken to the hospital and
placed on the operating table. There
was a case of this sort recently in
South Richmond A woman had shot
her husband and then herself. He was
not badly injured; but there seemed
little hope for her, and the order to
the driver from the surgeon was to
get to hospital with all the speed
he could make. TITS a question OF
life and DEATH the doctor said. The
driver looked at a police officer stand.
ing by.
Make 1t If you can" said the officer.
| who realized the seriousness of the sit
| uation. In ten minutes the woman was
in the Memorial Hospital. She died
afterwards. but everything possible to
| save her was done.
! Must Have Right of Way.
More recently still, a certain man,
who had criticized the ambulance for
speeding, was In peril of his cwn life.
The ambulance was called. When 1t
finally came he demonstrated with the
driver for being SO slow. Yes" re-
sponded the driver but the other day
you said I was going too fast"
Whenever a call comes in to u.s.
said one of the surgeons last night
1--WE never know how serious 1t may
be. Our duty Is to give aid as quickly
as possible, in order, 1t may be, to
save life. OF course we should ex-
ercise reasonable care in going through
the streets, but we should have the
right OF way. Ours Ia an errand of life
or death"
| Countless people have been succored
by the city ambulance surgeons. and
many lives have been saved by theil
prompt attention. And the fact that
they answered nearly 800 calls In one
month and saved the lives of eight
would-be suicides gives some idea OF
what they are called on to do.
! e., 49,