AN AMBULANCE FOR PUBLIC USE.
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A Description of the Latest Crossley Vehicle, Which is Equipped with Many Interesting and Up-to-date Fittings.
AS municipalities are the principal users of motor ambulances, it is te be expected that the following article, which describes a new Crossley vehicle of this nature, will be of outstanding interest to users of this description. Public bodies are recognizing in increasing numbers the necessity of utilizing motor vehicles in order to conduct their. various services in an efficient and economiCal manner. It is unnecessary to elaborate this point, except to say that it certainly brings us a step nearer to the day when the horse vehicle will cease to be employed for any branch of municipal work..
The motor ambulance is recognized as the only efficient means of transport for sick or,accident cases, .and its adoption in. preference to other methods is becoming more general.
The Crossley . Smbulance body is mounted on the 25-30 h.p. Crossley R.F.C. chassis which achieved such remarkable success in many quarters cf the world in various branches of H.M service during the war. The chassis is admirably suited for ambulance work, for it is of sturdy build and exceptionally well sprung, factors which, it is hardly necessary to impress upon our readers, are of the utmost importance.
It is unnecessary for us to enter into is descriptidn of the chassis itself, for that used for motor ambulance work is identical in every respect withthat used for ordinary commercial service, and after all the most important feature of any ambulance is unquestionably the
body design.
The Crossley body is birilt of the best selected, straight-grained ash with good quality mahogany panels, the bottom and sides being of ash or oak according to requirements.From one of our pictures it. will be seen that there are two doors at the back opening outwards, and these are hung upon special hinges in order to give full clearance for the stretchers. The back step is made to fold, and is sheltered from mud thrown up by the rear wheels by a protecting shield.
The interior of the body is lighted by four plate-glass embossed panels, engraved with a cross in the centre, which can be encircled with any design of let-' tering. A look-out window is fitted in the back door. There is one .electric light in the roof. The body is well ventilated by means of louvres at the sides and back doors, and by two torpedo ventilators in the roof, with brass hit-and-miss regulators. • Special attention has been paid to the matter of. heating, and in order to maintain the temperature at a constant level, the heat from the engine exhaust is utilized.
Two stretchers are provided for, these being on the left side of the body, one above the other. The top stretcher is slung and runs on a folding, frame with a special patented arrangement for easily raising and. lowering to the same level as the bottom stretcher when plac
ing the patient in position. The bottom' stretcher is furnished with 12 in. rubber-tyred wheels (these are detachable), which enable it to be run along the floor. This stretcher is run in on grooves on the bottom of the ambulance body. It is fitted with .a special arrangement for raising the patient to a horizontal position, when the . ambulance is descending a steep incline and it is necessary to avoid undue pressure on theilower injured parts. It is also fitted with specially adapted back rests at each end, so that the patient can be carried in either feet or head first, and can be raised by means of the , back rests to any citting or lying position. Both stretchers are covered with stout, strong, tanned canvas. A pillow is provided,f or each stretcher.
A seat running part of the length of the right side of the body is fitted to accommodate two sitting patients and an attendant, and this can be folded back when not required to be in use. Other interior fittings comprise one water bottle and tumbler in frame, two rubber hot-water bottles, a full set of splints, etc., a tie-up wash basin (to suit brass -or nickel fittings) with the necessary tank, pipes and tap.
The body is varnished, the colour of the wood being retained both inside and out, the whole body being finished in a first-class manner throughout'.
It may interest our readers to know that the Municipal FIealth Department of Rotterdam ,recently purchased two ambulances of this type for the transport of invalids suffering from non-infectious diseases, and as a result of this purchase' the efficiency of the service has been considerably increased and favourably coniMented upon.