Ambulances Yesterday and Today
By Laurie Lewis
Ambulances have been fixtures on the streets of New York since 1869, when Bellevue Hospital started the nation’s second ambulance service. (Commercial Hospital in Cincinnati had one four years earlier.) A Bellevue staff surgeon, Edward B. Dalton, had handled transport of wounded soldiers during the Civil War, and he adapted his wartime experience for the quick movement of ill and injured city dwellers. The ambulance was primitive by today’s standards: a horse-drawn vehicle with a gong to clear a path through the congested streets of Manhattan, equipped with basic first-aid material as well as brandy to relieve pain.
Ambulances have been fixtures on the streets of New York since 1869, when Bellevue Hospital started the nation’s second ambulance service. (Commercial Hospital in Cincinnati had one four years earlier.) A Bellevue staff surgeon, Edward B. Dalton, had handled transport of wounded soldiers during the Civil War, and he adapted his wartime experience for the quick movement of ill and injured city dwellers. The ambulance was primitive by today’s standards: a horse-drawn vehicle with a gong to clear a path through the congested streets of Manhattan, equipped with basic first-aid material as well as brandy to relieve pain.
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NYC's Pioneering Achievements
From its earliest days, New York has been home to many creative, inventive people. They introduced an amazing array of innovations that were the first of their kind in the nation, and even the world. Discover many of these firsts in Laurie Lewis's Twitter feed, @LLewisNYCfirsts. Presented like a trivia game, each first usually appears in a tweet on two consecutive days. The first tweet poses a question, such as "Tomorrow is the anniversary of.... Do you know what it is?" The next day, a tweet answers the question. Follow @LLewisNYCfirsts to learn about New York's pioneering achievements.
About "Take a Walk New York" Tours
We are a group of New York City licensed tour guides offering a New York experience that is beyond the standard fare. Let us take you on a walk through the greatest city in the world and discover why New York is a place like no other.
