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APPENDIX I.
Notes on the horsed ambulance services of Manchester, Liverpool, Dublin, and Belfast.
(a) Manchester.
(Population—Census, 1901—543,872).—The whole of the ambulance arrangements are provided
for by the police, and are under the supervision of the Watch Committee. Until a year ago there
was no properly established horsed ambulance service in the town.
There is but one ambulance station, which is situated at Goulden-street, a busy centre of the
city, and adjoins the Goulden-street police station. The ambulance station accommodates four
ambulance waggons, six horses, five police constables and the inspector. The inspector and constables
who act as drivers, live on the premises.
As the number of applications for assistance is rapidly increasing, the Watch Committee are
now building two additional ambulance stations, and the question of providing an ambulance for
each division is under consideration.
Everything is kept in a state of complete readiness for an urgent call, the horse stands ready
harnessed, and as a rule, the waggon is on its way to the accident in less than a minute from the receipt
of a call.
Method of summoning the ambulance.
Massages are received by—
1. The Police telephone.
2. The National telephone.
3. By messenger direct to the station.
The majority of calls are sent through the police telephone, but if an accident occurs at some
distance from a police station the police constable avails himself of the nearest public (National)
telephone. Each police division has a list of the names of the public who are willing to allow the use
of their private telephones in case of accident. At night the only means of communication with the
ambulance station is by the police telephones (20 stations), and any of the National telephone
instruments (such as electric light stations) as may be available during the night.
The ambulance waggon is at once despatched to any address whether summoned by the police
or the public. The number of false alarms is very small.
The six men, one inspector and four drivers have all undergone instruction in first-aid to the
injured.
The rule seems to be that the driver only, accompanies the van to an ordinary street accident;
but to private cases another man always accompanies the driver.
It would appear that on arrival at an accident one of the public is left to look after the horse
while the driver attends to the injured man, assisted by a police constable who may be in charge of the
case at the scene of the accident.
If it is reported that a woman has been injured, the matron of the police station accompanies
the van to the scene of accident. If on arrival only, it is found that a woman has been injured, one
of the public, preferably a woman, is invited to accompany the constable and return with the injured
woman. The patient is then conveyed to the nearest hospital.
The ambulance drives at a rapid pace, the driver warning the public of its approach by an
ordinary police whistle. Although this system has only been in use for a little over a year, the public
are already getting to understand, and readily make room for it, even in crowded thoroughfares.
The police constable on point duty always assist in facilitating its rapid progress. It is suggested
that each van should in future carry a small flag with a Geneva cross on it.
Besides ordinary street accidents, occasionally lunatics are removed from the street, or from the
police cells to the police court, await the decision of the magistrate, and convey the patient to the
asylum or the workhouse as ordered.
Use of the ambulance.
The City ambulances are used for the removal of private patients at a fee varying from three
shillings and sixpence to five shillings, within the City boundary.
Number of calls.
The average number of calls per week for the whole City varies from 25 to 30, 4 or 5 of which
are private, the maximum for one day being 12 calls and that for one week was 36.
On the day of my visit I found that there had been the following calls—4.13 a.m., confinement
in the street—telephone message from a doctor—patient taken home. 8.28 a.m., personal call at the
ambulance station by one of the public—patient taken to hospital—died in ambulance on the way.
11.44 a.m., summoned by telephone to a man suffering from delirium tremens—taken to hospital.
The books show that the number of calls from the 18th of July to the 18th of August inclusive
was 199 cases, 50 of which were private. The amount paid by the public for the conveyance of private
cases during that period was £18 10s. 6d. A careful entry is made of the exact hour at which the
message is received, the time when the ambulance left, the nature of the injury, etc. At the time of
mv visit at my request the horse was harnessed and the van on its way to a supposed accident within
three quarters of a minute.
The van.
Two of the vans used are built by Wilson and Stockall, Bury, Lancashire. They are of an
excellent pattern, fitted with rubber tyres, good springs, are strong, light and roomy. They cost
£135 each.